Shuffled Deck: Phantom Team
by DaBossMan123
Summary: Yu Narukami is on probation for a crime he did not commit. Sent by his father to live with Sae Niijima, Yu has to live one year without any problems. Except after an accident, he discovers a dimension that allows him to change people's hearts and be a true force for good. Along with Goro Akechi, Shiho Suzui, and a woman known as Morgana, he founds the Phantom Team.
1. Prologue

In Tokyo, Japan, a church had its mass in full swing. It was a massive cathedral, easily the size of a skyscraper, with ornate and detailed stained glass windows depicting previous police commissioners and statues of SIU directors from years long past all decorating the exterior. Inside, people dressed in simple robes and blindfolds on were praying at the altar of a man with a police badge in one hand, and a set of scales in another. Suddenly, they heard the bells ring, which only happened if an intruder had breached the inner sanctum. Three men, dressed in armor from the crusader era marched into the room. Curiously, their armor was painted like it was a police officer's uniform.

"Where is the intruder?" One demanded, pulling out his sword.

Up above them, a man leapt between the rafters. The worshipers looked around, panic starting to settle in among them. The man stopped and stood proudly in the moonlight, his shadow cast for all to see.

"Up there! In the rafters!" Another one cried out, pointing at the man.

The man had short silver hair, a well-built frame, and steely grey eyes. As for clothes, he wore a black tangzhuang shirt with a golden dragon printed on the right side, black dress pants with silver trimmings, dress shoes with gold scales that clinked whenever he took a step, white gloves with golden claws attached. On his face, he wore a silver masquerade mask with the nose curved like an owl, and the Roman Numeral "II" imprinted in gold on the forehead. The man smiled, turned, and continued on his way when he heard a voice buzz in his ear.

"Seeker? This is Ace. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Didn't expect the Shadow to pull that. How are the others?" the man known as 'Seeker' replied as he made way to an exit directly ahead of him.

"Outlaw, Pariah, and Carmen are too injured to try again. Justicar volunteered to make sure they get out. What about you?"

"I'm fine, got some Shadows chasing me. But I'll shake them. If what you said is true, then that only leaves you, me, and Skull to try and take on the Shadow. I don't like those odds." Seeker replied, climbing up the building, carefully ignoring the crusaders. He found an open window and went through, now on the ledge of a very narrow stone walkway.

"We have no choice, Seeker. If he doesn't have a change of heart, then we'll all be dead by tomorrow. Then who will be left to avenge his master's victims?"

Seeker was shimmying the church from the outside, watching a silhouette of a crusader run by through a stained-glass window. He hid behind a pillar, waiting for the guard to pass.

"Where'd the heretic go?"

"Stay out of sight Seeker. You'll never get back to the Shadow if you have to fight the whole way up." Another voice told him.

"Venus? What happened? You dropped out of contact, and I feared the worst."

"Shadows attacked my position. I was able to lose them, so I can help you out. At least for now."

Seeker simply nodded and, like he had before, began to climb the massive cathedral in order to reunite with what was left of his team. He entered the church again, and now found himself in the bell tower, and there were several bells of various sizes. As he walked along the wooden beams wide enough for three people side-by-side, he heard a voice behind him.

"STOP RIGHT THERE CRIMINAL SCUM!"

Seeker turned around and saw a crusader. Seeker smiled, sprinted to him, and before the guard could react, leaped high above his head, his feet landing firmly on the guard's shoulders. Seeker's clawed gloves grabbed the part of the helmet that shielded the face and pulled hard. The face mask was ripped off and Seeker kicked with all of his strength, launching the crusader forward. The guard hunched over and began to twitch, and soon his entire body dissolved into a puddle of tar. A puddle that soon reformed itself into a minotaur with mechanical legs.

"Analyzing… this opponent is weak. Take him down, and fast." Venus ordered.

Seeker smiled, and reached for his mask, removing it from his face. When he did, a figure materialized behind him, wielding a massive naginata.

"Tear him apart!" Seeker ordered.

The figure raised his weapon and the air crackled as electricity surged and gathered around the blade as if it was an antenna. Once the blade was coated with enough lightning to power a city, the figure slammed his weapon down, a cascading wave of electricity surging towards the monster in front of Seeker. Once the energy hit, the minotaur let out a scream of agony and vanished into ash.

"Good job, now hurry! The Treasure will dematerialize in a few hours, and the heist will be a failure. Skull and Justicar are already there and waiting for you."

_ How did it come to this? _Seeker thought to himself, and remembered back to when it all began.

**Author's Notes:**

**Hello there dear reader, and thank you for making it this far! There's a few things you should know:**

**1) This story doesn't have any OCs, so if you're worried about the different codenames, don't be. They may be different characters, but they're all from Persona 5**

**2) I cross-posted this story on Archive of our own under the same name. We have pics there since I cannot for the life of me find a way to get them in on Fanfic net.**

**3) This story was created before Royal, so don't expect Kasumi, 3rd Persona Evolutions, and so on**

**4) Since this is my first fanfic, please feel free to post anything you feel needs improvement**


	2. Lawful Evil

Yu Narukami sat in his house in the small rural town of Yasoinaba. His father, Dojima Narukami, yelling in the phone, while his sister hugged his arm tightly. Their father was arguing with a man called Sojiro Sakura. Rather loudly too.

"I don't care if you offer me every yen in your account! There's no way I'm letting a criminal near my daughter!" Sojiro yelled before hanging up. Dojima hung up, a defeated look in his eyes. Defeat that quickly turned to anger.

"Except you're not a criminal, no matter what the courts say." Dojima grumbled.

Dojima was a man with short, greyish black hair and a three day stubble. He wore a dark grey button up shirt, with a loose red tie and dark black dress pants, and a silver watch on his left wrist. For his job, Dojima was a detective, one of the best, known around Japan as someone who had busted several crime rings and stared down and beaten many Yakuza crime bosses. Which made the current situation even more infuriating. His son, Yu Narukami, was arrested for a crime he did not commit, and the courts ruled him guilty, despite Dojima's best efforts.

"I appreciate it dad, but what will we do if we can't find someone willing to take me?" Yu asked, more than worried.

"We will find someone." Dojima growled.

"But what-"

"We. Will find. SOMEONE!" Dojima exploded, making both his children flinch.

"Please don't fight." Yu's sister pleaded, making both men soften their expressions.

There was a short, tense moment of quiet before Yu spoke to his dad.

"She's right dad. Yelling at each other won't get us anywhere."

"I… I know Yu. But this shouldn't have happened."

Yu's mind flashed back to the incident. He was walking home early because kendo club had been cancelled. It was a cool, clear night, the breezes easily dulling the heat. Yu was just walking through the neighborhood, the biggest smile on his face. He was the top of his honor class, he was the star of the kendo team, he held three part time jobs and on that night, he managed to get a date with the one and only teen idol, Rise Kujikawa. All in all, a good night, and nothing could ruin it. Or so he thought. He heard voices, one male, the other female. He was always a curious man, and he had to see what it was about. He knew his father wanted him to stay out of business between adults, but he also taught Yu that if someone was in trouble, he had to help. On that night, he choose to listen to the latter.

"Let me go!" The woman pleaded.

"Get in the car!" The man ordered.

Yu's curiosity and self-righteousness got the better of him as he approached the scene. He looked closer and saw a man harassing a woman. He knew what his dad would want him to do, and ran over, intent on doing something to help.

"Please, stop!" the girl cried.

"What are you doing?" Yu demanded.

Due to a mix of adrenaline, the shock of the event, and how dark it was, Yu couldn't remember what the man looked like or sounded like. But Yu could remember what the man said and what Yu did.

"Gah. See? This happened because you were so slow."

The man looked at Yu like how one would look at an insect.

"This ain't a show. Get lost kid!"

"I-I'll call the police!" The woman threatened.

"Hehe. Really now? Sure, go ahead. The police are my bitches. Now, get in the car!"

The man went back to the woman. Yu decided it was time to show that he meant business. He gently grabbed the man's shoulder, and he turned around fiercely. Due to how drunk he was, however, the sudden force caused him to lose his balance and he toppled over and fell hard onto the sidewalk, earning a small cut on his forehead. When he looked back at Yu, his stare radiated pure fury. His next words proved to be Yu's damnation.

"Damn brat! I'll sue!"

The rest was a blur, but Yu remembered the sirens, being put in a cell, and the banging of a hammer and the yells of 'GUILTY' from the trial. He remembers how furious his father was, his little sister crying for three days, and the looks of disgust and horror on his classmates' faces as he was expelled. The sheer shock of it all along the shame and pain it brought culminated in his attempt at ending his own life to get away from it all. He failed on account of his father. Because of the court ruling, he would have spent his time in Juvie Hall, but Dojima's reputation and attitude had allowed Yu to have a second chance at a normal life. A second chance that looked like it was getting more and more difficult to grasp. If he couldn't find someone to be his probation officer, he would have to live on the streets until he could afford an apartment or some place to stay.

"Is there anyone else dad?" Yu asked, still exhausted from the grueling ordeal that hasn't even truly begun yet.

"... There is one other person. But I'm not sure she'll take you."

"Dad, we're out of options. Who is she?"

"She's the daughter of an old friend. Sae Niijima."

"Then why didn't we start with that?"

"Because the old friend is dead. And from what I've heard, she's been too busy to even have a real presence in her sister's life."

"We have to try."

Dojima simply nodded and looked through his makeshift office in the living room. Finding a note that simply said "For emergencies", he picked up the phone and dialed the number on the note. Yu and his sister both visibly tensed up as the phone continued ringing. Finally, they heard a faint noise from the phone.

"Hello?" it asked.

"Hello, uh, hi. My name is Dojima Narukami….. Yes, _that _Narukami. …. Well, it involves my son. Is your sister home?... Alright, I can wait."

Yu waited for what felt like years, and uneasy feeling seemed to bubble, like a kettle left on the stove too long. Dojima looked back at his oldest child with an apologetic look. His attention was turned back to the phone once another voice was heard.

"Yes, hello Sae. Yea, my son, Yu, has… been accused of a crime he didn't commit. The courts ruled him guilty, and now he has to live one year on probation. Here's the thing: He's been expelled from Yasogami and the only school that accepted him was Shujin, and that's in Tokyo. Yes, exactly. I was wondering if you'd be willing to be his probation officer. I can pay you if… WHAT?! YOU WILL?! Oh, thank you Niijima-san, thank you, I had all but given up hope. Oh? Yes, he's here. Alright then."

Dojima turned to Yu.

"Sae wants to talk to you."

Dojima handed the phone over to Yu.

"Hello?"

"Hello Yu Narukami. My name is Sae Niijima. Listen closely and be sure to write this down, I'm going to tell you where to meet me tomorrow, and how to get there." The voice on the other side sounded icy, hard, and full of drive.

* * *

After the talk with Sae, Yu had head up to his room in order to pack for the upcoming year.

Probation.

Criminal.

Guilty.

Yu felt a twinge of fear and anger in his heart, and he had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down. This wasn't fair, this wasn't right, this shouldn't have happened. But this was how the world worked. By now, most of his other stuff, which he packed a few days prior, had already left for the address Sae had given them. Yu had finished packing up what was left when his dad knocked.

"Come in."

"Hey son. How are you holding up?"

"Honestly? Not very good. I always thought that those who do the right thing win because, well, they do the right thing. Maybe I was naive, but… I thought that if I tried to help her, it'd all work out in the end, that I'd be a hero."

Dojima just stayed silent, before placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to learn the hard way: But often times, it's those with influence, who can grease the most palms and pay the most bribes that come out on top. You'll find that there's a lot of scum in this world. Rich, poor, athletic, fat, there are many out there who only look out for themselves. The fight against them isn't easy, but nothing worth doing ever is."

Dojima's hand left Yu's shoulder, and he gave his son a look he only had when he was ready to give a lecture.

"Why? Why did you have to get involved?"

"Because you taught me that being good was worth it, that being good would attract people that would stand up for me, who would help me in my darkest moments. But Yosuke didn't stand up for me. None of my former bosses helped me. Everyone in kendo either run or glare across the street when they see me coming. I'm now the most hated man in town, and I've done nothing wrong."

An uncomfortable silence was shared between father and son. Yu decided it was time to change subjects before things got tense.

"Hey dad, when Sae and I were talking, she said that she was doing this to 'repay a debt'. Any idea what she means?"

"Ah… that. Sit down son, this story isn't going to be an easy one to tell. But you should probably hear it so you don't accidentally piss her off."

Yu and Dojima took a seat, the older Narukami took a deep breath in.

"This happened about five years ago, before Nanako was born."

"So mom was still alive."

"Yea. Back then, I was with the Tokyo PD. My partner was a man called Saito Niijima. One night, we were at his house, discussing a case. We heard a knock on the door, and when Saito opened it up, he just barely got out of the hail of bullets just in time. It was Yakuza hitmen. Saoto was able to kill one of them, and told me to protect his daughters, Sae and Makoto. Shortly after, they managed to kill him."

Dojima had to pause to collect himself.

"I rushed the girls upstairs, killing one of the hitmen. They then cut the power, and chased after me. There were about five left. After a tough battle, I was able to protect Saito's kids, but I took a few bullets myself. I was hospitalized and put in a coma. You know the rest. Had it not been for the coma, I would've taken in Sae and Makoto. When I got out, Sae had already just started college and Makoto refused to leave her sister's side."

Yu's eyes widened. He knew that Dojima was in a coma for about two years, and about a month after he was first put in it, his sister was born, and their mother died in childbirth. Her last words being the baby's name: Nanako. For the next two years, the Narukamis had to fend for themselves, giving Yu a good judge of character, decent fighting experience, and excellent observation skills. But these Niijimas were in the same boat as he was once. Maybe they would get along.

"And now, Sae works as a public prosecutor, and Makoto goes to Shujin." Dojima continued.

"The school I'm attending. What a coincidence."

"Heh, normally, I'd agree with your skepticism, but this looks like the first time, this really is just coincidence. I've already sent the rest of your stuff ahead. Get some sleep, ok? You've got a big day tomorrow. And remember; if you get in any trouble, your life will be over."

Yu nodded and the two said their goodnights and goodbyes, and Yu finished packing his things. Starting tomorrow, Yu had one job, and one job only: Don't get in any trouble for a full year.


	3. The Adventure Begins

Yu woke up to the sound of Nanako knocking on his door.

"Big bro! Breakfast is ready!" She cried.

Yu got up, got dressed, and walked downstairs, the realization that this would most likely be the last time he got to eat with his family in a long time finally sinking in. It was a delicious rice omelette with some bacon, and the three Narukamis ate in silence. Finally, Nanako spoke up.

"When's big bro coming back?"

"If all goes well, then… about March." Dojima answered.

"I won't see big bro for a year?!" Nanako asked, distraught.

"I'll send you letters and call you. Don't worry, I won't forget you." Yu responded.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Yaaay!" Nanako cheered, returning to her usual happy self. The rest of the meal went by with a happier mood. Once the dishes were done, Yu got his suitcase and the three went to the station.

"Well, this is it. Good luck son, I know you'll do great. I love you." Dojima said, hugging his son.

"Love you too dad. And don't worry Nanako, I'll remember my promise."

"Stay safe big bro." Nanako said as the siblings hugged tightly, tears in her eyes. It took awhile to pry her off so he wouldn't miss his train.

Yu looked around on the train and saw that it was mostly packed. There was only one spot open, and it was between a boy with frizzy black hair and glasses, and a boy with dark blue hair that covered his left eye who was sleeping with his MP3 playing. He saw on their bags "Property of Akira Kurusu" and "Property of Minato Arisato." He recognized the uniforms: The blue haired boy, Minato, wore the Yasogami high uniform, his former school, while the frizzy haired boy, Akira, wore the Gekkoukan high uniform, a school that he visited as a culture exchange during his previous school year.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Yu asked

The blue haired boy stirred awake, while the frizzy haired boy simply said.

"Go ahead."

Yu took a seat in between them and the blue haired boy yawned.

"What was our last stop?" he asked

"Yasoinaba." Yu answered

"Damn, that was mine."

"Don't worry, you can get off next stop."

"I think I'll do just that."

Yu then noticed something strange. There was a beautiful blue butterfly just floating down the train car. Yu looked around and saw that no one was paying it any mind, except for him. Suddenly, Yu felt sleepy and closed his eyes, the sound of the train car and passengers slowly being muffled out. In his dream, he saw a man sitting behind what looked like a prison reception desk. The man was dressed in a black-collared and long-sleeved shirt under a blue suit complemented with a blue necktie and wore a hat similar to a flight attendant. But what struck out the most was his platinum blonde hair and yellow eyes. The man smiled as Yu approached.

"Greetings. My name is Theodore. Welcome to the Rehabilitation Center for the Troubled. If you wish to utilize our services, please sign here."

Theodore reached under the desk and pulled out a slip of paper and pen, and slid them across the desk. Yu picked them up and began to read, confused by what this paper said.

_**This story is a work of fiction**_

_**Similarities between events, or persons, living or dead are purely coincidental**_

_**By signing this contract, I agree to dedicate myself completely towards my rehabilitation**_

_**Only those who have agreed to the above shall receive aid **_

_**Do you accept these terms and conditions?**_

"Uhhhh…. Sure, I guess." Yu said, signing his name. After all, it was only a dream. The words on the paper began to shift and form new words.

_**The contract has been sealed.**_

_**The world is not as it should be.**_

_**Distortion fills reality, and ruin draws near**_

_**Those who oppose ruin are known as Tricksters**_

_**You are one such Trickster**_

_**The time to act is now**_

_**Seek the truth, at any cost, if the world is to survive**_

_**You have one year.**_

"_What the hell_?" was all Yu could think before he was woken up.

"Shibuya. This is Shibuya." the announcer spoke. Yu looked around: The blue haired boy was gone, and so was the frizzy haired boy. Yu simply shrugged and got off and out of the subway, trying to make his way through the throes of people. Once in Shibuya Square, he started trying to make sense of the huge city crowd before him. Everyone was moving somewhere, none taking a second for granted. That's when he heard his phone beep. He looked at it and saw something most peculiar: an app he never installed. It was creepy and in the shape of an eye with a black and red color scheme, a star in the center, acting as the iris. Yu pushed on it to try and drag it to the trash bin, but instead, the weird app expanded to the point it covered his entire screen. The world got eerily quiet.

Yu looked up and saw that time had frozen. No one was moving, not even the birds, and in the center of Shibuya stood a pillar of electricity, dancing with wild abandon. Yu had to squint, but he could swear there was a figure in the pillar. And the figure looked like… him? The electricity parted slightly, and Yu saw it for a brief moment: A man that looked almost exactly like him, save for one feature: his eyes were an unholy yellow, and his grin was so wide there was no way it could be natural. The electricity cracked loudly and in a blinding flash, everything was back to normal. Yu looked at the eye on his phone.

"Hope I never see you, or whatever that was, ever again." Yu muttered as he dragged it to the recycling bin. He looked at the time, and decided he had to get going. Pulling up his notes, he looked at the directions to the Hachiko statue Sae said would be their meeting place. Yu wondered what she was like. Dojima said she would be about 25 by now, still relatively young, and she had a sister about Yu's age. Before he knew it, he found the statue. Now all that was left was to wait. Yu wondered about what she was like. If Dojima was right, and she really was so busy that she couldn't even be with her sister, Yu could only imagine how she'd treat him. There'd be a curfew, no doubt, and that was likely to be the least of his worries. Yu's analysing was brought to a screeching halt when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Yu Narukami?" A woman asked from behind.

Yu turned around and saw a tall woman, six feet at least, bright beautiful silver hair that was parted to one side and flowed past her shoulders, and piercing red eyes that looked like they belonged to a hawk. She wore almost all black business clothes that seemed to fit her like an extension of herself, the only accessory being a necklace in the shape of a section sign, violet nails and a pair of earrings. The woman exuded an aura of confidence, seriousness, and power.

"Y-Yes?" Yu stammered, feeling intimidated.

"My name is Sae Niijima. Follow me, we'll be taking my car." She ordered, turning around and walking through the massive crowds of Tokyo. Yu followed her to her car, a black Cadillac, and got in the passenger seat. As they started to drive, Sae spoke up.

"I trust you are aware of your situation?"

"Yea. I'm going to be with you for one whole year. If I go by without issues, then I'll have my record cleared and I can go back to my normal life in the middle of nowhere."

Sae didn't even show a twinge of amusement, simply nodding her head.

"That is mostly correct. You won't be living in the same room as my sister and me. You'll have a seperate room right next to ours. Most of your things should already be in there. Sadly, neither of us had the time to unpack them."

"It's alright. There are somethings that I'd rather not let you see."

The car screeched to a halt at a red light and Sae turned her piercing gaze to Yu, who thought he was going to have a heart attack.

"Like what? Drugs? Contraband? Weapons?" She demanded as she seemed to burn holes into Yu's very soul.

Yu was breathless. He thought his dad was terrifying when he was angry, but this woman was on another level. He opened his mouth, but his mouth went dry and a knot formed in his throat, words refusing to form. Sae simply scowled.

"Fine. Makoto and I will help you unpack. If we find anything suspicious, I'm throwing you out, debt or no debt."

She stepped on the gas as the light turned green, the air so tense you could punch it. Yu took in the sights. He had never been in a city before, so everything seemed overwhelming to the teen. The sights of the skyscrapers and the massive ads, the sounds of bustling traffic and street vendors, and the crowds of people packed together like sausages. If Yu had arrived of his own free will, he would have seen this like an adventure. But he was a prisoner, not a tourist, and this was punishment, not a vacation. By now, they arrived at the lobby of the apartment complex. It was rather luxurious, and they soon got into an elevator, Sae still scowling. They went to their room number: 915.

"Makoto will most likely be inside. Treat her with the utmost respect. Understood?"

Yu was too terrified to do anything but nod. Sae opened the door.

"Hi sis! How'd it go?" A girl asked.

"Fine. For now." Sae replied as Yu stepped in meekly.

"For now? What's that mean?" The girl asked.

Yu examined her. She was around his height, was still in her Shujin Academy uniform, had brown hair braided across the top of her head. Or was it a headband? Yu couldn't tell. But he did see the same piercing red eyes that Sae.

"He made a slip of tongue, and now, I'm curious as to what exactly his father shipped us."

"Oh. I thought he had a knife on him or gave you some trouble."

"No, and if he did, he'd be covered in bruises.".

"Umm…. W-what?" Yu could only meekly ask.

"Sis here knows kickboxing, and I know aikido." Makoto stated proudly.

Yu gulped as a bead of sweat made its way down his brow.

_This woman isn't my probation officer, she's my prison warden._

"Now, let's get you unpacked Narukami." Sae said, grab walking over to a nearby door. She pulled out a key and swiftly unlocked it. Makoto tapped his shoulder.

"Is it porn?" She mouthed.

Yu automatically blushed and furiously shook his head, getting a sigh of relief from Makoto as they followed Sae into his room. Inside was a simple bedroom for one person, a rack for storing any souvenirs, and tucked in the corner was the door to his bathroom. There were two windows that granted a view of the city, and in between the windows was a workbench, complete with tools and some basic supplies. Scattered everywhere were cardboard boxes.

"Well, let's begin, shall we?" Sae asked, pulling up a box.

The trio silently went to work, and Yu hoped that he would find the objects of his fears before they did and could discreetly tuck it out of view so Sae wouldn't get suspicious. He looked over to his new guardian. She opened the boxes and inspected the contents thoroughly, but instead of chucking it to the side or to the floor, she put it in a neat, organized pile. Makoto did the same, mostly unpacking clothes, hygiene products, video game consoles and games, DVDs, and other things. Yu found the box he was looking for and saw it: The objects he knew he could not let Sae and Makoto see. He looked over to the girls, Makoto pointing at a box in a far flung corner. Sae turned her back to get it, and Yu sprung into action. Thankfully, the box made no noise as he skillfully hid it among the pile of boxes that were already unpacked. Shortly after, they finished, Makoto let out a sigh.

"Looks like we're done here. And, there was nothing out of the ordinary in any of the boxes." Makoto said, wiping a small drop of sweat.

_Mission successful_

"All… except the one Narukami moved when he thought I wasn't looking." Sae said, glaring daggers at Yu yet again.

_DAMNIT!_

Makoto turned to him and crossed her arms, her face plastered with disapproval.

"Well?" The older Niijima asked.

Yu sighed and hung his head in defeat. It was time to face the music. He grabbed the box and put in on the table. He backed away after opening it. As the girls moved to investigate, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Yu said, wanting to excuse himself from what was to come.

He opened the door and saw a boy about his age. He had shaggy, dark brown hair and wore a tan pea coat with a black tie, black trousers, and black gloves. Yu noted that he had a police badge strapped on his coat, carried a briefcase with an "A" branded on it, and there was an outline in his coat. An outline that looked suspiciously like a gun.

"Oh, hello there. I haven't seen you…. At all, really. Who are you and why are you in the Niijima residence?" The boy asked.

"Hey Sae-sama, do you have a brother or other relative I'm not aware of?" Yu asked, not answering the boy's question.

"No, why?"

"There's someone here and he has red eyes like yours. Almost exactly like yours."

"THIS is what he was hiding?" They heard Sae ask, ignoring his statement.

Shortly after, the two boys heard laughter, and Sae walked out of Yu's room, a hand to her face. There was a slight blush on her cheeks as she regarded Yu.

"Narukami, I owe you an apology. And I can completely understand why you'd want to hide… _that_." Sae said meekly.

"Hello Sae-san. May I come in?" the boy in the door asked.

"Of course. Yu Narukami, meet Goro Akechi, my partner in the prosecutor's office."

"Goro Akechi? As in Detective Prince Goro Akechi?"

"That's correct. Though, please, treat me like you would a normal person. And you are?"

"Goro Akechi, meet Yu Narukami, my ward for the coming year." Sae introduced.

"Narukami? As in Dojima Narukami?"

"Yea. Though please, treat me like you would a normal person." Yu parroted.

"As you wish. Sae-san, you said he was your ward?" Akechi asked.

"He's here on probation. He's been charged-" Sae began.

"Falsely." Yu interrupted.

"... of assault. He's now staying with my sister and me for a year."

"What was Makoto laughing at?" Akechi asked.

"How do you know it wasn't Sae-sama?" Yu asked.

"Because Sae-san never laughs or jokes. She's one of those types who smiles like this."

Akechi then proceeded to do the most overdone, comical frown that could be mustered on the human face. As if to prove his point, Sae frowned as well, though not as over-the-top as Akechi's. The red-eyed teen smiled.

"See? Right there. Sae's smiling right now."

Her frown grew worse.

"She knows it's true. Words can't describe her joy right at this moment."

She was now giving Akechi the same look she gave Yu when she drove him here.

"And neither can her face." Akechi added, grinning like an idiot.

"You know Akechi, I just remembered that I have two fat stacks of paperwork that need to be done. Thanks for volunteering." Sae said, her expression softening with every word. Akechi's face went from glee to horror.

"Hey Yu-kun do you know if, oh hi Akechi-kun." Makoto greeted, trying to hold back laughter.

"Hello Makoto-san. What were you laughing at?"

"Well, Yu's father, for whatever reason, decided it would be a good idea to send along costumes. A butler and panda costume to be specific."

"A… a panda?" Akechi asked, confused.

"They were from plays." Yu explained.

"Do they still fit?" Makoto asked, trying to hide her excitement.

"Maybe, I don't know. I haven't tried one on."

"You'll have to try the panda costume." Makoto said, a gleam in her eyes and a shine in her smile.

"Maybe some other time. Today's been eventful enough." Sae said, shaking her head.

"Speaking of events, I take it Yu's the reason you missed our celebration?" Akechi asked.

Sae looked puzzled for a moment, then gave a grimace.

"I forgot that was today."

"Celebration? For what?" Yu asked.

"Don't you watch the news? Sis and Akechi were able to put that plagiarizing artist, Madarame, behind bars." Makoto explained.

"Really?"

Akechi did a dramatic pose and began to explain, as if he was in an advertisement for a new TV show.

"Sae-san and I are the top dogs in the SIU. Whenever people tell us 'the chances of winning are almost zero' we say 'so you're telling us… there's a chance?'"

"We do not sa-" Sae started.

"Wherever crime lurks, we are there to cut it down like the foul weed it is!" Akechi continued, striking another dramatic pose.

"Ok Akechi, you've had your fu-" Makoto tried to interrupt.

"We are… Sae Niijima and Goro Akechi! The Dynamic Detective Duo!" Akechi said striking one final dramatic pose, earning him a smack on the back of the head from Sae.

"In terms you can actually understand, Akechi and I are the best of the best in the SIU. Often times, we are sent on cases that have little to no chance of winning in court because of how powerful and rich the individuals are. Sometimes they are, in fact, innocent, but more often than not, the ones we are charged with bringing to justice are often the social elite. As a result, we often make headlines."

"Isn't Akechi a little young to be doing police work? Especially for the Special Investigations Unit?"

"I may still be in highschool, but my skills are like a fine wine, they only get better with age!" Akechi said proudly.

The Niijimas rolled their eyes, but Yu smirked at Akechi's enthusiasm.

"It's getting rather late. Why don't you head home Akechi? I'll make the celebration up to you sometime." Sae promised.

"Alright Sae-san. Goodnight Narukami-san, Makoto-san." Akechi said, picking up his suitcase and heading out.

"Well… he's something." Yu said.

"Oh, you have no idea. I just wish he wouldn't treat our cases like some game. In any event, let's eat dinner." Sae suggested.

The three of them went and chowed down their meals, Narukami nodding in approval.

"Tish ikh weary guk." He said

"Don't talk with food in your mouth Narukami." Sae ordered.

Yu swallowed and spoke again.

"I said 'this is very good.' Almost like I never left home."

"Thank you." Makoto said.

"You made this?"

"Of course. Sis is often busy with work, so I have to do all the cooking."

"Wow. Dad wasn't kidding when he said you were busy."

"Very. Speaking of busy, after we finish dinner, I want the two of you to go straight to bed. We'll have to go to Shujin to get the paperwork finalized tomorrow."

"Alright Sis. You want me to come along?"

"Of course."

Makoto smiled warmly at that. Yu made a mental note of just how little they get to interact with each other. The trio finished off their meals and Yu and Makoto did the dishes.

"Oh, before we go to bed, we should exchange contact info Makoto. Sae-sama already gave me hers when we first talked back home" Yu suggested. Makoto pulled out her phone and Yu waited for her to give him her number, only to receive a text.

Makoto: No need. Sis already gave me your number.

Yu looked up at Makoto, who had the corners of her lips pulled into a smile. He added her to his contacts and went to his room and changed into his PJs. He shot her a text back as he sat down on his bed.

Yu: You couldn't have told me that in person? We were in the same room.'

Makoto: No, this way you already have my number. Now go to bed, we have a big day tomorrow.

Yu smiled as he laid down on his bed.

_Not as big as this._

"Narukami, it's me. Are you decent?" a voice asked after a few light knocks.

"I am Sae-san. I'll get the door." Yu asked, getting up to let her in.

Sae opened the door and let herself in.

"Or not."

"I came to give you this Narukami. It's your room keys. One leads to the hallway, the other leads to the living room. Makoto and I have the spares so we can come in whenever we wish, so don't lose either. Understood?"

"Yes."

_I understand you basically admitted you can invade my privacy whenever you want._

"Good."_._

The two stood in silence, Sae's determined face melted into a more confused one, like she was unsure of how to start. Finally, she opened her mouth.

"Also… we got off on the wrong foot today and I would like to apologize for that. It was hardly fair of me to judge you after a few minutes of knowing you, and if this is to work, I can't treat you like a suspect. So, tomorrow morning, let's start over. That sound alright?"

"... Sure. Give me a chance, and I'll make sure you don't regret it." Yu said, smiling and extending his hand.

"Alright. I'll give you a chance, fair and square." Sae said, shaking his hand.

After that, Sae walked off to be and Yu went to charge his phone, and saw something peculiar: The app he thought he deleted was now back.

_That's odd. Hoped to never see you again._

Yu tapped the app. Nothing happened. Maybe the stress was starting to get to him. He deleted the app again and started to charge his phone. He then pulled back the covers and began to sleep.


	4. Prison

"Master? Are you sure it's a good idea to bring the guest here so soon after what happened?" A woman asked, her tone almost robotic with how bored it sounded.

"I agree with Justine. We repelled the entity only moments ago. What if it attacks us again while the guest is here?" Another woman asked, her voice laced with uneasiness.

"We have nothing to fear girls. I have taken steps to ensure it won't find this place again. Besides, we were able to repel it before, and we will repel it again if need be. And should this guest, or any guest for that matter, happen to be here if that happens, I will summon your siblings at once." A man assured.

"Very well master. We will trust your wisdom."

The three people waited for a few moments before they heard their guest: Yu Narukami, starting to stir. When he woke he found himself in a prison cell, dressed in a prison outfit. Yu took note of his surroundings. The cell he was in had a bed, a toilet, and the walls were padded, like he was in an insane asylum. Oddly enough, the padding was a velvet blue rather than the snow white.

"W-where am I?" He asked, getting up. He walked to his cell door and felt something weighing him down. He looked and saw that he was in cuffs, and his legs were chained to a metal ball. When he approached the cell door, he saw two women before him, they looked like twins.

Both of them were adults and fully developed adults at that, and sported long, platinum blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. The one on his left side had bangs covering her left eye while her right glowed a beautiful golden, with her ponytail thrown over her right shoulder while the girl on his right was like a mirror to the girl on his left; bangs covering her right eye, her left eye glowing with a golden color, ponytail thrown over her left shoulder. The two girls were dressed in warden outfits and had hats that spelled out 'OXYMORON'. All Yu could think about was how they shared features with that man from his other dream; Theodore.

The girls turned around and stood at attention and Yu looked dead ahead, following their eyes.

In the center of the room stood a large desk standing on a carpet sharing the same velvet blue as the walls in his cell, and with a golden "V" emblazoned on it. At the desk sat a man wearing a formal suit and gloves, with bloodshot eyes, pointy ears, a bald head with grey hair, and a very wide grin. But most disturbing of all was his nose, his very long, very pointy nose.

_ That man could poke someone's eye out with that thing. _

"Greetings Trickster, welcome to the Velvet Room." the long-nosed man said in a voice that was somehow creepy and soothing at the same time.

"Where am I? Am I hallucinating again? What did that app do to me?!" Yu yelled, pulling and banging on the bars.

"Inmate, please calm down. This is very real, as was what you saw earlier." The girl on his left told him, her tone lacking any form of emotion.

"If you want to get out of this alive, you'll need a resolve of steel. Get a grip!" The one on his right ordered, almost the polar opposite of the other girl in tone.

"Welcome. My name is Igor, and I am delighted to make your acquaintance. These fine young women here are my assistants. To your left is Justine, to your right, Caroline. They will be the wardens of your rehabilitation." Igor explained, his wide smile never vanishing when he spoke.

"Rehabilitation? Trickster? Get out of this alive? W-wha?" Yu couldn't even form a complete sentence from the huge information dump he was given.

"Inmate, please take a deep breath. Panicking will help no one." Justine suggested.

Yu tried to do what he was told, but he still couldn't get over what he's seeing, or what he heard. His mind began to flash back to that night, and all he could think about was how he could _not _go through that again.

"Why am I in jail? I did nothing wrong! Let me out! Now!" Yu demanded, pulling at the bars to no avail.

"Don't talk to our master like that!" Caroline yelled, pulling out a baton and slamming it against the cell walls, sending a surge of electricity that forced Yu back.

"This is the Velvet Room, a place between dream and reality, mind and matter." Igor explained, completely unfazed by the outburst. The long-nosed man then looked around, his bloodshot eyes examining the room like this was also the first time he's seen it.

"Still, I am most surprised. The Velvet Room shifts to reflect the state of the heart of its guest. Often times it is something comforting: The living room of a house, the captain's cabin of a ship, and so forth. I never thought a guest would see their own heart as a prison."

"Wait, are you saying I'm the reason I'm here?"

"Yes... and no. Only those bound by a contract may make use of our services. You signed one such contract."

"What? No I didn't!"

Igor snapped his fingers, despite the fact he was wearing gloves, and Yu saw a piece of paper materialize in front of him. He grabbed it and started to read.

"This story is a work of fiction, any similarities between- wait… this was from the dream I had before I came here!"

"Correct."

"B-but… it was only a dream!"

"We told you, inmate, this is very real." Justine replied.

"What the hell did you trick me into?! I want out!" Yu yelled, grabbing the paper with both hands and trying to rip it, unsuccessfully.

"Don't bother inmate. Your only choice is to abide by your contract, and give it your all to rehabilitate yourself. Don't worry, we'll give you a hand, because we're your loving and supporting correctional officers! Ain't that right, Justine?" Caroline asked with a sadistic grin as the contract vanished into thin air.

"Yes, but that will have to come later. Time marches on in your world, and we will have to continue this at a later date." The woman stated calmly as an alarm bell could be heard.

"Farewell Trickster. I look forward to seeing you again. I hope your rehabilitation goes smoothly." Igor said, his smile never fading throughout the whole ordeal. Yu's eyes felt heavy, and he soon fell asleep, his body toppling to the floor and soon disappearing completely. There were a few moments of silence before Caroline spoke up.

"Jeez, what a scaredy cat. Are we sure we picked the right guy? The other guests didn't have nearly as much of a breakdown when they came here." Caroline scolded.

"We didn't choose him, fate did. And if we're to to be fair, the Velvet Room didn't transform into a prison for them, and they haven't gone through the same ordeal he has in the waking world." Justine countered, tone even and monotone.

"That may be so, but his trials haven't even begun. Time will tell how much of his potential he will realize and fulfill, and how strong his bonds with his fellow Tricksters will be." Igor added.

The two girls looked at each other, and immediately looked away, as if both were embarrassed by the other. Unease filled the air as they rubbed their arms. Igor's bloodshot eyes widened when he realized what was wrong.

"Ah, and now we get to the final matter. Girls, do you wish to merge into your original form?" Igor asked, stretching his arms as his gloves glowed blue, as if preparing a spell.

"I… I think not Master." Caroline answered, causing Igor to raise an eyebrow and the glow to dim from his gloves.

"She's right. We already introduced ourselves to him. He will no doubt panic again if someone else is waiting for him next time." Justine added.

"Exactly. For now, I think I can live like this, at least until this scaredy cat has fulfilled his contract." Caroline agreed.

"Very well. I shall inform your siblings that, for the time being, they have two new sisters." Igor replied with a small nod.

"Oh, that reminds me; is the guide up and about yet?" Caroline asked.

"Yes, she is. She has everything she needs, and I'm sure she'll be very happy and excited to meet him." Igor said, chuckling.

* * *

Yu woke with a gasp and bolted upright. He looked around. He was in his room. He was in the same PJs he got dressed in. The sun was rising, its light bathing his room. He clutched his chest, his breathing hard and labored as cold sweat rolled down his forehead.

_ It was just a dream. An LSD induced dream. What did that damn app do to me? How did it do that to me? _

Yu looked at his alarm clock. Just about a minute before the alarm was going to go off. And there was no way that he was going to risk going back to sleep even if he had an hour. He made sure the alarm wouldn't go off and quickly got dressed in his Shujin uniform, brushing his teeth, and decided to start organizing some of his home souvenirs, making sure the butler and panda costumes were tucked out of sight. He then heard a light knock on his door.

"Yu-kun? Are you awake? I didn't hear an alarm go off." Makoto's voice called from the other side.

Yu proceeded to open the door. Makoto too was dressed in her Shujin uniform while Sae was on the phone with someone.

"Yea, I'm awake. Woke up right before my alarm went off."

"Alright, well come on in, breakfast is ready, and once we're done, we're going straight to the school. Come on." Makoto said.

"You said so yourself, I'm not one to joke. I fully expect those two stacks done by tomorrow."

Yu heard a groan of resignation from the phone.

"Akechi?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Yes. Hurry up and eat your breakfast. We don't want to keep Principle Ushimaru waiting." Sae ordered.

"Trust me, you really don't." Makoto replied, and rubbed her forehead as if remembering something painful. Maybe this Ushimaru gave her a scolding. It's not like he'd chuck any chalk at her.

Yu looked at his meal and started eating while Makoto and Sae talked among themselves. Yu, ever curious, decided to try listening in.

"Watch…. trouble…. kick out…. aim below the waist." Sae spoke.

"Don't worry…. fear…. wrath…. carry a taser." Makoto replied.

Yu decided that, if he didn't want to fear the mere sight of the Niijimas, he should probably stop listening. He finished with his meal just as they finished their talk.

"You ready? Let's go." Sae ordered, leading the way. Yu managed to get Makoto to drop back as they walked into the parking lot.

"So… what did you and your sister talk about?" Yu asked, knowing he would probably regret it, but unwilling to let his curiosity go unsatisfied.

"Oh, she just asked me to look after you at school. Also told me to warn you: Cause any trouble for either of us and you'll be kicked out, and that if you should try anything, I was to aim for your…. More private parts." Makoto answered with a smile starting to form.

Yu gulped. Makoto continued, as if reveling in his fear.

"I told her that if you did try anything, you should be more afraid of Sis than me. After all, she carries a taser with her at all times."

Yu gulped again. Louder this time.

"But don't worry. Just stay out of trouble, and you'll be fine." Makoto assured with her smile still in place as the group approached the car. Makoto rode shotgun and Yu sat in the back. After a good few minutes of driving, Yu decided to strike up a conversation and hope it didn't backfire.

"So, what's Shujin like?"

"Ah, it's a wonderful school, one of the best in the nation. If you manage to graduate there, you can make it anywhere. We offer a wide array of clubs, from kendo to drama to music to writing to baking. We also have a team for every sport, track, basketball, baseball, we have it all." Makoto explained, smiling with pride.

"Makoto is the Student Council President there. I've asked her to keep an eye on you so you don't cause any trouble, or get in any trouble."

"Yes. I hope you'll make many friends there. Oh, we're here now." Makoto said.

Yu wasn't expecting a paradise, but from the way Makoto described it, he wasn't expecting the school to feel like a prison as soon as he entered it.

_ Guess you've seen one, you've seen them all. _

The three made their way to the principal's office. Ushimaru was a stocky and big boned man, but that only made him intimidating as opposed to weak. He had black hair combed and slicked all the way back, and wore a dress shirt with a blue tie and suspenders. His eyes peered at Yu from behind his glasses, but nothing could top Sae. Next to him was a woman in a plain long-sleeved yellow and white striped shirt and a navy blue skirt. As for her features, she had simple black hair and looked way too tired to be here.

"Hello Yu Narukami. I am Ushimaru, your principle. Let us get down to business. I know you're most likely aware of your situation, but just so we're clear; you cause any trouble for this school, and you will be expelled. Now, that said, I decided to accept you because I believe in second chances. We all falter in some way or another at one point in our lives, and I do not want you to throw away your life and future because of one stupid decision." the man informed the grey-eyed teenager, short and to the point.

_ Like you know the whole story _

"With that in mind, I want you to make the most of this second chance. This is Sadayo Kawakami. She'll be your homeroom teacher." Ushimaru said. The tired woman simply nodded, putting two items on the desk.

"This is your student ID and the rulebook. Please look over it, because, as stated before, cause any problems, and I won't be able to protect you." She said as Yu picked them up.

"If there's nothing else you would like to discuss, the three of you are free to leave." Ushimaru finished with a nod. Oddly enough, despite his harsh words and tone, Yu got the impression Ushimaru was just strict, not mean-spirited, while Kawakami seemed to regard him with indifference, and neither seemed to harbor him any ill-will. He hoped this would be the case with all of his professors, considering that they'll have to know about his record.

"Do we have time for a tour?" Yu asked as they walked down the halls.

"Normally, I'd say 'no', but since Akechi is handling my paperwork, I should be free for the rest of the day. Take as much time as you need." Sae said, walking off.

"Alright then. Follow me please Yu-kun." Makoto asked. Before they could get on with their tour properly, they saw a girl stumble and fall.

This girl had bright orange hair, and was rather small for a girl in highschool. She had glasses on her face that seemed a little too round, and had bag holding a laptop that held a computer decorated with various egyptian symbols and alien paraphernalia, such as UFOs, Area 51 stickers, and so forth. Yu and Makoto helped her up.

"Be more careful Futaba, you almost hit us." Makoto said.

"I'm sorry prez. Wait, who's this guy?" The girl, Futaba, asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

"This is our new transfer student, Yu Narukami."

Futaba's eyes widened at the name. Yu couldn't tell if it was from surprise or fear. Futaba quickly picked herself, then her laptop bag and held it close to her chest.

"S-s-sorry about that. I-I gotta make like a tree and GTFO, KSEEYABYE!" Futaba sputtered quickly, sprinting with the energy of an Olympic athlete.

"What's her issue?" Yu had to ask.

"She… doesn't function well around strangers. She's a Second year, like you."

"Is she in my homeroom?"

"No. Though, I am curious. What was she doing at school today?" Makoto pondered out loud.

"Well, we won't get an answer now, let's get on with the tour, shall we?"

"Yes, this way leads to the faculty office…"

* * *

Futaba scurried out of the school as fast as her little legs would let her. That was way too close. She had been ordered to tap into the school's network to find out about the school's new student, but the files were all pen and paper, so she had to go to school in real life. Had she been caught by Makoto who knows what would have happened. Her family suffered enough because of that woman, despite her best intentions. Futaba reached inside her bag, luckily, the computer concealed the portfolio that held Yu Narukami's file. She pulled out her phone and took pictures of it, then called the man who ordered her to do this.

"Yes?"

"Mission successful." Futaba said with a heavy heart.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Futaba winced. She forgot the man only liked talking business in person, courtesy of her previous screw-ups.

"O-Oh. Sorry. Wrong number." Futaba sighed, defeated. She knew what to do: If what her boss told her was true, then she was to take action. She didn't know this Yu, and she knew that if she did this, his life would be hell on Earth, but she pissed off her boss once, and she's still paying the price for that, with interest. She took a deep breath before opening her laptop and going to work. With any luck, she'll never see the new guy's face again.

* * *

"And that concludes the tour. Any questions?" Makoto asked.

"No. You were pretty thorough. Where'd Sae-san go?"

"No need to be so formal with my sister. She may be strict, but she doesn't mind when it comes to honorifics."

"Oh really? I'll keep that in mind."

The two approached Sae, who simply nodded at the two as they got back into the car. Yu decided to try and memorize any landmarks as starting tomorrow, he'd take the train. Sure, Makoto would be with him, but he still would like some semblance of independence during his prison sentence. They were halfway back to the apartment when Yu spoke up.

"So, what happens now?"

"Now, you and Makoto will have the whole day to yourselves." Sae answered. Yu noticed that, despite her best efforts, there was bitterness in her voice.

"Any rules?"

"Be back by nine, stay in your room unless you're invited to the living room, if you want any friends to come over, you have to ask for my permission first. Also, I want you to write in this."

Sae reached inside her pocket and pulled out a book.

"This is your probation diary. You are to write in it at least once a week, and if I ask to read it, you're to give it, no complaints." She said, handing it to Yu. When he took it, he swore he could feel chains being attached to his arms and legs. She really was his warden.

"That's mostly it. Anything you'd like to add Makoto?"

"Yes. I saw that you were the top of your class in Yasogami High, and I expect similar results here. If your grades start slipping, I'll decide what you can do in your free time. If you need help, please don't hesitate to ask me to tutor you."

"Violate _any _of these rules, or get expelled, and I'll throw you straight out. Understood?"

By now the car had reached its destination, the apartment parking garage. The passengers and driver got out, and Sae turned to Yu.

"About the be back by nine rule…"

"Yes?"

"What if I get a job that requires me to stay past nine?"

"Get a job?" She asked, confusion on her face.

"You said you're very busy. I figured you wouldn't be able to give me an allowance, considering what you have to spend. If I get a job to help ease the burden, would you let me stay past nine?"

"Hmmmm… as much as I appreciate your initiative, I have to say no. For now at least. I want you to get used to your new life before going job-hunting. And I wish you luck, I doubt there will be many willing to hire someone with a record."

"Know anyone who might be willing to hire me?"

"No. But do keep it in the back of your mind." Sae answered, the bitterness and ice gone. And her face began to shift.

_ Is that… a smile? Nah, it couldn't be. _

"Now, if you two don't mind, I have to get back-"

They were interrupted by the sound of Sae's phone ringing, the ringtone being the Superman theme of all things. She picked it up with a groan.

"Yes Akechi? YOU DID WHAT?! So the paperwork isn't done?! I gave you one job: Take care of my paperwork so I could go straight back to work as soon as I was done with Narukami. What do you mean sushi means more to you?! Remember who signs your paychecks young man! Fine. But if the job's not done by tomorrow, I'll give you another instruction in kickboxing. Is that clear? Good."

Sae hung up and Yu was surprised that she didn't crack the screen by squeezing too hard. She turned to the two high schoolers and rubbed her temples. She took a deep breath in, and her usual calm returned.

"Well, change of plan. Since Akechi loves conveyor belt more than his job, I am now free. Please tell me you have something planned. I hate sitting around and doing nothing." Sae informed, sounding almost hurt at the thought of free time.

Makoto, however, lit up like a Christmas tree.

"The entire 'Like a Dragon' saga! You haven't seen the final two installments because of work, so now's the perfect time to watch it!" Makoto suggested with barely contained glee.

"Like a Dragon? I've heard of those, but never watched them before." Yu said, scratching his chin. His response garnered a gasp from both of the girls.

"You… you haven't seen _any _'Like a Dragon' movies?! Then it's decided, you're going to watch the whole saga with us. If you don't, we will kick you out!" Makoto ordered.

"You're not gonna kick me out for not watching movies." Yu retorted, shaking his head.

"You're going to watch the whole saga with us Narukami. And that's final. If you don't want to, start packing." Sae said matter-of-factly, turning around and walking with Makoto, leaving Yu dumbstruck. Once he got over how his wardens had just abused their power, he went into the complex. When he entered the living room, he saw neither of the girls in there.

"Makoto? Sae?" He asked.

"We're getting changed. Put in the first movie in will you? It's called 'Like a Dragon: A Single Step.' It's in a golden box under the TV."

_ Wish I had a TV. _

Yu began looking under the wide plasma screen TV, soon finding it. Inside were six movies, all starting with 'Like a Dragon.'. Shortly after, he heard the door open to reveal Makoto in a simple white blouse and skirt, and barefoot.

"Help me prepare some snacks Yu-kun. After that, prepare to witness the best movie saga of all time!"

"Someone's excited."

"I've seen all six movies 54 times." Makoto said as she got popcorn and heated them in the microwave

"I'm more scared that you've kept count more than the amount itself." Yu said as he got some candy and poured it into a bowl.

"Oh, just wait until the movies start." Sae said, no longer in a business suit, but now in jeans and a sweater. Yu had to admit, he had a hard time imagining the prosecutor in anything other than a business suit in the short time he's known her, and yet, here she was.

"I can't wait to see your reaction to the ending Sis!" Makoto said as she got out the popcorn. Now, there was no mistaking it; Sae was in fact smiling. It looked good on her.

"I'll put in the movie. Narukami, kill the lights." Sae ordered.

Yu did as he was told and Makoto went back to her room and came back with… a panda plushie?

"Is that… a panda plushie?" Yu asked.

"Yes, and his name is Buchi-kun. Buchi-kun, this is Yu Narukami. Say hi Buchi-kun."

Makoto moved the plushie's arm to wave at Yu, who waved back.

"Alright you two, get comfortable. I'm starting the movie." Sae said as she hit play and Yu dimmed the lights.

* * *

The three watched the final scene of the movie saga, the main character's funeral. In the first three movies, he had gone from a cowardly kid on the streets to the most powerful Yakuza boss in Japan, in a story full of twists, turns, drama and action. In the final three, the story focused on the now old main character training a protege to take his place, and the final fight was between that protege and his former teacher/father in order to save the clan. When the movie ended after the main character's funeral, Makoto and Yu were crying their eyes out. Sae turned the lights on and ejected the movie.

"T-that…" Yu croaked.

"I… I kno-hooooo-oooooow!" Makoto sobed.

The two turned to each other and hugged, both refusing to stop attempting to talk to each other over what they just saw, despite the incomprehensible sobs and sniffs that followed. Sae couldn't help but let herself smile at how well they got along, and at how fast. Maybe Narukami wasn't so bad after all. She glanced at the clock, and her smile vanished completely.

"It's getting rather late, so we should head to bed. You especially have a big day ahead of you Narukami, with tomorrow being your first day at Shujin." She informed, getting up.

"Alright Sis." Makoto said, breaking the hug. Any sadness from before having vanished at the mention of school. After saying their goodnights, Sae turned to Yu.

"Don't forget about the probation diary Narukami." Sae said, back to her serious self. Yu simply nodded, going to his room, getting changed and ready for bed. He looked at his diary, and decided he'd best get into the habit of writing in it.

_ Dear Diary: A lot has happened to me recently. I've been found guilty of a crime I didn't commit, and now I've been sent to live with a woman called Sae and her younger sister Makoto. Since that happened, I've meet a teenage detective who works for the greatest crime fighting unit in Japan, almost been kicked out because of a panda costume, somehow had two LSD trips from an app that doesn't know how to stay deleted, been sent to a jail in my dreams, and have been blackmailed into watching a saga of Yakuza films. I'm going to be staying here for a whole year. I've been here for two days._


	5. Welcome to Hell

The morning went about the same as yesterday's; Yu had to wake up for school, and got dressed in his Shujin uniform:a red-buttoned black blazer with Shujin's emblem on the pocket, a white turtleneck shirt with chevron detailing on the collar, and red plaid trousers. At least this time he didn't have to deal with those strange people in that prison while he slept. He walked out of his room and seeing Makoto setting the table for breakfast, already dressed in the female version of his outfit, the only real difference was that she had a skirt instead of pants, and a vest instead of blazer. Sae was nowhere to be seen.

"I take it Sae-san has left for work already?" Yu asked as Makoto handed him his plate.

"Sadly yes. Often times, I have to cook her lunch, breakfast, and dinner in advance."

"So she doesn't just use Akechi for slave labor."

Yu felt a sharp pain in his leg. Makoto spoke in a harsh tone as he grabbed it in response.

"Unlike Akechi, I actually volunteered for this. Sis has a lot on her plate, and she welcomes every attempt to help her, so long as it doesn't jeopardize either of our futures."

Yu expected some venom or spite in her voice, but she talked to him like he was a child who simply didn't know any better.

"Now, hurry up and finish eating. We have a school to attend."

* * *

Yu was able to navigate the dreaded subway system easy enough, thanks largely in part to Makoto. The two were making good progress until it started to rain, which forced the two to make a mad dash for an awning nearby, as they tragically forgot to bring umbrellas, using their bags as makeshift cover from the water drops. Yu pulled out his phone to check the time, and saw a familiar, and unwelcome sight. An app shaped like an eye, with a star for an iris.

"Why won't this thing go away?" He muttered.

While he was looking at his phone, a feminine figure walked up and stood next to him. She wore a version of the female Shujin uniform, the main differences being that she wore a hooded sweatshirt with a four-leaf clover on the hood instead of a turtleneck and had red tights under her skirt. Judging by how soaked the hood was, she too forgot to bring an umbrella and was seeking shelter from the rain as well. Once she was under the awning, she pulled back her hood and Yu's jaw dropped.

"She's beautiful." Yu thought out loud.

The woman had Japanese features with flawless skin that boasted of the utmost care, with her hair was a natural platinum blonde tied up in pigtails that flowed past her shoulders like water, and her eyes were a light blue, shimmering as if they were a part of the ocean, and attached to her ears were two small pearl earrings. She turned to Yu and smiled.

"Awwww, thank you!" She said, her voice full of life.

"Wait, did I say that out loud?"

"Yes. Rather loudly too. Hello Takamaki-san." Makoto said, turning to face the girl.

"Hey Prez. Who's this? Did you finally get a boyfriend?" Ann teased, checking out Yu.

"N-no, of course not! T-this is my sister's ward; Yu Narukami. Y-Yu, this is Ann Takamaki. " Makoto said with a blush on her face.

"Charmed, I'm sure." Ann said with the most fake British accent a Japanese student could muster. The moment was cut short when they heard a car horn and turned to see a car roll up. The window rolled down to reveal a man with a pointed nose, round chin and bald head. He looked like he weighed a ton, but Yu could see that if his arms and chest were any indicator, every pound was muscle. This was a man who treated his body like a temple, and gave off a very malicious aura.

"Takamaki, get in. We have to talk." The man ordered in a gruff tone comparable to a drill sergeant.

"Yes sensei." Ann said, all the life drained from her voice as she entered. The car sped off as soon as she closed the door, and Yu couldn't help but notice the scowl on Makoto's face.

"Let's go. You can't afford to be late." She said, frustration clear in her voice. Before the two could even move, Yu felt someone push past him, bumping into his shoulder. A boy tried to run after the car, but stopped shortly after.

"Damnit! Screw that asshole!" the boy yelled to no one in particular.

"Ryuji! Language!" Makoto yelled.

The boy, Ryuji turned around, his face in an apologetic look and awkward smile. He had spiky hair dyed yellow that gave him the look of an unruly punk. He wore the Shujin blazer and pants, but the blazer was unbuttoned to show a yellow shirt that said "ZOMG!" with comical stars that complemented his yellow hair.

"Heeeeeey Prez. Didn't see ya there. Who's this guy? Did ya finally get a boyfriend?"

"No, Ryuji. This is Yu Narukami, our new transfer student."

"Awwww, he is? I was hoping it'd be a girl. I'm Ryuji Sakamoto. How do you and Prez know each other?" Ryuji asked, his grin wider and no longer nervous.

Before Yu could answer, Makoto did it for him.

"He's currently under probation and will be living with me and my sister for the next year. Don't get any funny ideas, or start spreading rumors." She added the last part with extra authority.

"Relax, the rumor mill will take care of itself." He replied, bitterness in his words.

"Didn't you say we'd be late to school?" Yu cut in.

Both of them went wide-eyed.

"Shit, you're right! Follow me, I know a shortcut!" Ryuji said, turning on his heel and leading the two down a series of alleyways. Yu and Makoto had to break into a light jog in order to keep up with him, and he was casually strolling.

_ This guy on the track team or something? _

True to his word, Ryuji led them to the school with minutes to spare.

"Well here it is, the shitty Shujin school." Ryuji said, anger in his voice.

"Thanks Ryuji. We'll take it from here." Makoto said.

"Yea yea. But first, new guy; stay the hell away from Kobayakawa. That asshole thinks he's the king of the castle or some shit."

"Conditions have not been met." A mechanical voice ringed out.

Yu pulled out his phone and saw that he forgot to close the app. Only this time, instead of the eye, he was met with three boxes, the first two saying "Kobayakawa" and "Shujin", but the third was empty. Yu noticed Makoto looking over his shoulder, so he quickly turned his phone on silent and shoved it in his pocket.

"Was that your phone?" Ryuji asked.

"Sadly, yes. I've been having some trouble with it." Yu said quickly. It wasn't a complete lie. Ryuji simply said "See ya" and went on his merry way. Yu turned to Makoto.

"Who's Kobayakawa?"

"Coach Kobayakawa." Makoto said the name as if it burned her mouth, and her brow furrowed.

"That's the name of a man that can be called many things. Merciful isn't one of them. He coaches the boxing team, and has a history of abusing students that don't live up to his expectations." Yu analysed her tone and body language. This wasn't just disgust of the man because of his practices, this was personal.

"When Akechi and I started coming here, this place was hell on Earth. Two teachers, Kamoshida and Kobayakawa used the school as their own playground. Kamoshida coached the volleyball team, and would physically abuse its male team members, and sexually harass female students. Kobayakawa would strong arm faculty and blackmail students that tried to fight back, just to protect Shujin's reputation."

"Wait, Akechi goes here?"

"Yes, and believe it or not, you're not the first one who thought we were siblings because of our eyes. Back to the story. When Akechi heard about the rumors, he went to Ushimaru-san, but he refused to do anything unless there was concrete proof of abuse. So, he took matters into his own hands. Alongside myself, Futaba, Kawakami, and a boy named Yuuki Mishima, Akechi-kun was able to get enough proof of Kamoshida's deeds and get Ushimaru to have him fired. Sis took up the case when she caught wind of what Kamoshida did, and with Akechi-kun's help, they put him behind bars for good. That's how they met, and they've been working together ever since."

"What about Kobayakawa?"

There was a silence that lasted a few seconds, and Makoto's attitude shifted. Whereas before she looked ready to snap someone's neck, she now looked ready to cry.

"Akechi-kun tried. God knows he tried. But Kobayakawa learned from Kamoshida's mistakes. First, the coach tried to recruit Futaba. When she refused, her mom was reported to be in the hospital, and there we learned that she… was raped and had her back broken. Kobayakawa warned he'd finish the job if Futaba didn't help him, and she's done just that ever since. Next was Kawakami. He was able to find some… unsavory details about her and threatened her if she didn't cooperate. Finally, there was Mishima. Mishima had no close friends besides Akechi and me, and his parents were out of town for a few weeks. So…" Makoto swallowed hard, and her lips started to quiver.

"One day, Mishima stopped showing up to school. When we investigated, we found… we found him in a coma, where he still remains to this day."

Yu took a moment to let this knowledge sink in, his eyes widening as he processed it.

"God damn. If dad found out about this…"

"There's more. You should know _exactly _what kind of monster you're dealing with." Makoto said, as if forcing herself to continue.

"For our second year, Akechi-kun and I tried again. Kobayakawa had stepped into the power vacuum left behind by Kamoshida. We formed a new team, Ryuji, Ann, and… a girl named Eiko." Makoto choked up on saying the last name, a tear streaming down her cheek.

"A-and then..." Makoto stammered. She looked ready to break down, and Yu decided that his curiosity would have to wait another day.

"Thanks Makoto. I'm sorry for bringing back any painful memories." Yu said, putting his arm on her shoulder.

"You're welcome Yu-kun. All we can do is hope that this year will be different. You remember the way to the faculty office, yes?"

"Yea."

"Good. I'm going… to compose myself before I head in." She said with a sniffle.

"Take all the time you need. I'll be alright." Yu said, going in. Then he heard the whispers and realized he wouldn't be alright.

"Is that the transfer student?"

"No way. That's the criminal?"

Yu stopped dead in his tracks like a deer in headlights.

_ No. No, there's no way. Only the teachers and Makoto should know about my record. _

"Stay out his way, I heard he has a knife on him."

"I heard he was a part of the Yakuza."

"I heard that he attacked the cops that arrested him too!"

"Is he really the son of Dojima Narukami? He must be disgusted with him."

Yu had to stop after that one and looked around to give that student a piece of his mind. Once he found the man, he clenched his fists. No one insulted his father and walked away. Before he took the first step, he heard another voice in his head.

_ "Cause any trouble, and you'll be expelled immediately." _

"Stay out of trouble. Stay out of trouble." Yu muttered to himself as he turned around and walked up the stairs. He had one job.

More whispers about what they heard about him: They ranged from him doing drugs to him carrying a knife to him raping a woman, and it made Yu want to go into a corner and cry. There's no way he'll be able to make friends, outside of maybe Makoto and Akechi, and that's a strong maybe. Keeping up the mask of a cool guy undaunted by what he heard, he knocked on the faculty office. Only Kawakami was there, and she looked incredibly tired, her makeup barely concealing the bags under her eyes. After she noticed him, she let out a yawn and turned to him.

"Oh, it's you. You actually decided to show up today. Though, given you live with Makoto, that shouldn't be a surprise. Well, come with me, we'll introduce you to your homeroom." She said without any emotion whatsoever.

Yu followed her as the bell rang, stopping right outside the classroom.

"Oh, by the way, I'm sure you know but… your record has been leaked." Kawakami said, this time with genuine concern.

"H-how did that happen?"

"I don't know. Someone hacked into the school webpage and shotgunned it everywhere. You can bet that there won't be a single club that'll accept you, but if you need a place to study in peace and quiet, let me know and I'll take you to the faculty office." She offered.

"Really? T-thanks." Yu replied, surprised by her offer as the two opened the door and stepped in the classroom.

"Alright class, this is Yu Narukami. Please give him a warm welcome and treat him like you would any other student."

Yu knew there's no way in hell any of them would listen to that. Already he could hear the whispers.

"I can't believe the I'm in the same class as this criminal."

"I'm going to see if I can switch rooms with someone."

"Don't look at him, he'll whack you in the face."

"How long until he gets expelled?"

"Hopefully by the end of today."

With every word, Yu wanted more and more to just walk out, crawl into a corner, and die.

"Let's see. You're going to sit, over there, by the window." Kawakami pointed to an empty seat, and Yu walked over and saw a familiar bob of blonde hair. Ann. And unlike the others, she didn't show any interest in the rumors. As he sat down, she stretched, dropping a piece of paper by his feet. He picked it up.

'If you want to have lunch with me and my friend, meet us in the courtyard.' It read.

"You sure you want to be seen with me?" Yu whispered.

"I don't see why not. If you're worried about the rumors, don't. Shiho and I have had our share." Ann whispered back with a gentle smile. As if to prove her point, both heard whispers as the rumor mill began yet again.

"What are they talking about? Do they know each other?"

"Did she hit on him before he transferred?"

"Guess what they say is true; foreign girls really are easy."

Yu saw a glare from Ann make it's way to the gossipers, which prompted them to hush, or at least slander her more quietly.

"So?" Ann asked, hopeful.

"I'll think about it. It'd be nice to talk to someone who doesn't personally know my probation officer." Yu said as the bell rang.

The rest of the classes went as expected, the teachers treated him like he was the plague, and more and more rumors circulated about him. As the last class finished, lunch bell sounded. Yu got up to try and meet up with Ann when he bumped into a familiar face with blood red eyes.

"Oh there you are Narukami-san. I was looking for you."

"Why's that Akechi? And why are you still wearing that pea coat instead of a Shujin uniform?"

"Since you never know when the SIU will come calling, the school has made me exempt from wearing a uniform. But, on to more pressing matters. As you have no doubt heard by now, your record has been leaked. I want to see how you're holding up. Come on, we'll talk away from prying eyes." Akechi said, leading him up the roof. Yu once again heard the rumors as he and Akechi navigated the halls of highschool.

"What's Akechi-kun doing with the criminal?"

"Hopefully getting him expelled."

"Nah. Probably another victim of Akechi's crusade."

"Haven't enough people been hurt by that already?"

"Yea, but at least this time, if something happens, no one will miss him."

The two reached the rooftop, ignoring the 'No entry' sign on it.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that." Akechi said as he closed the door.

"Don't be. You didn't leak my record."

"And I can already guess as to who did. His name is Kobayakawa, and-"

"Makoto already told me about him. Why do you think he leaked my record?"

"That's a very good question. Kobayakawa's first and foremost interest is Shujin's reputation. Successfully rehabilitating a delinquent would help Shujin's reputation."

"Given what Makoto's told me, I'm surprised he didn't catch me by the gates."

"Kobayakawa doesn't do his dirty work himself anymore. He has students for that."

"So you think one of them leaked my record on his behalf?"

"I'd bet my life on it."

"Would a girl called Futaba be able to do it? I saw her with a computer bag the other day."

"Futaba doesn't leave Yong Yen unless it's for school or an emergency. And she'd never bring her laptop outside. But… yes, Futaba would be able to hack into the school site with ease. And if she was here yesterday, it was likely to find your record and plaster it for all to see. Please, don't try to confront her. She's as much a victim as you."

"I know. Makoto told me about Kamoshida, and what happened to your team."

"Really? I'm surprised she'd be comfortable talking about Eiko with you, given how little you know each other."

"She didn't. She choked up when she got there, and we decided to drop it."

"I see. I'm not surprised it's still a sensitive subject for her."

The two stood in silence for a few moments before Yu spoke again.

"If there's nothing else, can I go? A girl I met, Ann, said she'd like to have lunch with me."

"Ann you say? I'd advise against talking to her."

"Why's that?"

"Well… I'm not comfortable discussing our previous exploits without Makoto-san's knowledge or consent, but lunch break won't last long. How much do you know?"

"Makoto left off at the second team."

"Alright. Second year had come around, and Makoto-san and I had promised ourselves that this would be the year we finally nailed Kobayakawa. We found three students to help us; Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, and Eiko Takao. It started out well enough, Ryuji had joined the boxing team, since the volleyball team's fall from grace thanks to Kamoshida, Kobayakawa hoped to elevate the boxing team to the same status as the volleyball coach, and would abuse them when they didn't reach his standards. Ann and Eiko befriended students who weren't doing so well academically wise, because of rumors that Kobayakawa was threatening them with abuse and blackmail if they didn't improve." Akechi said, anger rising with each word.

"You're getting very worked up over this."

"Let me finish, and you'll find out why. The information gathering was going well enough, but… ametur mistakes, poor comunication, and the fact that our previous team was shackled to Kobayakawa's will… led to our team falling apart. Evidence went missing from the student council room, confession recordings deleted from our phones, and the students we were talking to came to school bruised, beaten, and bloodied. Officially, they were mugged, unofficially, Kobayakawa beat them to a pulp and asked his friends to support his alibi and had Futaba tamper with cameras to support his claim that he had nothing to do with it. Then, he came for our team. First was Ryuji. When Kobayakawa realized Ryuji was with us, he was kicked out of the Track Team, and had his arm broken on grounds of 'self defence'. Then, his father was attacked and put in the emergency room. The bills were so much, the Sakamotos had to sell their family home in order to pay it, and live in a cheap motel even today. Next was Ann, who was always an outcast due to her looks. There were only two people who befriended her; Ryuji and a girl named Shiho Suzui. By this point, everyone knew full well what happened if you tried to go against Kobayakawa, so when he threatened Shiho, Ann caved in almost immediately. Finally, there was Eiko."

Akechi looked at the ground, and looked like he was going to be sick.

"One day Eiko was called into Kobayakawa's office. Makoto-san happened to be walking by, and Eiko ran out, tears in her eyes. When Makoto caught up to her and asked what was wrong, Eiko slapped her, said that she wished she never met her, and that she hoped that her, me, and Kobayakawa all burned in hell. The next day, I was called to her house, to interview her parents. There was a suicide."

"My God."

"Yes. There were only a few bruises on her shoulders, but given the intensity, I'd say they formed because someone was holding her still with all their strength. I'll let you guess what he did that would warrant suicide with so little damage to her body."

"That's… that's awful." Yu said, his eyes wide with horror.

"Yes. Eiko killed herself, and she did so hating Makoto-san and me. After that, Makoto-san told me to lay off Kobayakawa, and we spent the rest of the school year as pariahs."

"And being with me won't do your reputation any wonders."

"I don't care about my reputation, I care about seeing justice done. Mark my words Yu Narukami, Kobayakawa will know the price for what he's done, and I'll be the one that makes him pay."

There was a short silence as the Yu just realized exactly what kind of prison Shujin was. Soon, they heard a bell, signaling that lunch break was over. The two went back to their respective classes, with Yu having lost his appetite. Classes ended and Yu heard a chippy voice from behind him. He turned around and saw Ann cutting right through the crowd.

"Hey Yu, did you forget about meeting me and Shiho?" She asked, sounding hurt.

"Sorry about that. Akechi found me and brought me up to the roof." Yu said, looking down.

_ Of course the one person who wants to be my friend is probably doing so under orders from the same guy that made it impossible to make friends to begin with. _

"Really? What'd he want to talk about?" She said, trying to hide her fear, and failing miserably.

"Mostly wanted to make sure that I wasn't letting the rumors get to me."

"Oh, that's nice of him. Say, want to make up for lunch? Shiho's waiting for me, and she was rather disappointed she didn't get to meet you."

_Somehow, I doubt that._

"Oh really?"

"Really! Suuuuuuper disappointed!"

_ Wow, her acting sucks. _

"Well then she'll have to be disappointed again." A female voice called from behind Yu. Before either, could respond, Makoto stepped between the two. If this was an anime, Yu would've thought they were fighting over him.

"As it just so happens, I have student council duties, and I need help. Yu is going to accompany me."

Before either Yu or Ann had a chance to protest, Makoto grabbed his arm and dragged him upstairs and into the Student Council room. She closed the door quickly and with far too much force.

"Gee Makoto,could you have been a little more gentle? I'm not _your _prisoner". Yu asked, rubbing his wrist.

"Sorry, it's just… I don't want Kobayakawa to get his hooks in you."

"It's alright, just please be more careful next time, ok?"

Yu looked around the room. It was a small room, standard for a student council. There was about enough space for ten, maybe 15 people, and there were several drawers and file cabinets for different documents, from tests to requests to budget plans. In the center of the room was a massive table made of smaller desks with five chairs around it.

"Makoto-san? You in here?" Akechi asked from outside with a knock.

"Yes Akechi. Please come in." Makoto said.

"Ah, Narukami-san's here as well."

"That's what we're here to discuss. Yu, Akechi told me that you were informed of… the fate of our second team."

"Yes, I must apologize for doing so without your consent Makoto-san. Did you call us here because you're thinking about forming a third team?" Akechi asked.

There was a moment of pause, and Yu thought Makoto was considering it. That thought went away as Makoto slammed her hand on the table, startling Akechi and making Yu recoil. If looks could kill, Makoto would slay an army right now.

"EXCUSE ME?!" She roared.

"I-I simply thought-" Akechi croaked.

"You thought what? That if we had a new member, one who's already in the crosshairs of Kobayakawa, it would somehow change the outcome? I thought you were smarter than that."

"Well, here, hear me ou-"

"No way Akechi."

"But, if we have someone we know is being targeted, maybe we could-"

"Use him as bait?" Her tone was ice cold.

"Makoto, this is our last year at Shujin. Once we leave, there won't be anyone left who will try to take him down."

"And for good reason. Need I remind you what happened to everyone else that helped us?"

"Makoto, the war isn't over yet. We still have a chance. Now that we know what we did wrong, this time-"

"NO! The 'war' is over Akechi! _We lost_. You need to accept that."

"I can't. Not when I can still do something." Akechi said, motioning to Yu.

"Umm… do I get a say in this?" Yu asked.

"You didn't even fill him in?!"

Akechi opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He tried again, with the same result, and could only hang his head in shame.

"Unbelievable. I called you two here to expressly tell you both; despite the rumors, you two are to do _nothing _that could provoke Kobayakawa. We are going to get through this year as honest high school students. Especially you." Makoto explained, looking at Yu.

"Your situation is even more volatile than ours. If you get expelled, you're going onto the streets. I'll be watching you closely to make sure you don't do anything that could land you in hot water with Sis. If you encounter any trouble from Kobayakawa, I fully expect you to roll with the punches." Makoto said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"You can't be serious Makoto-san!" Akechi said, his brows furrowing.

"I'm very serious. You understand, right Yu-kun?"

"I do."

_ I'll be a nice, obedient little prisoner. _

"Excellent."

"So, you're just giving up Makoto-san? Going to let Mishima and Eiko go unavenged?"

Makoto walked over to Akechi and gave him a massive slap to the face. Yu had to wonder if Akechi was brave, stupid, or crazy. Given that he regularly works with Sae, Yu decided on a mix of the last two.

"Don't you dare bring them up. I'm doing this so that no one else suffers their fate. I know when to admit defeat with grace. You need to do the same."

Makoto turned to Yu, crimson eyes blazing.

"I'm going to check out some books for study material. You two, stay here." She ordered as she left. Akechi got up, rubbing his struck cheek.

"That looked like it hurt." Yu said as he got out his phone.

"That was nothing. You should see her when she actually wants to hurt someone." Akechi said, rolling his arm.

A few moments of silence filled the room, and Yu decided to get on his phone and browse some memes. Instead he saw a familiar, and unwelcome sight.

"This stupid thing." Yu muttered as he opened the eye app again. The boxes were all empty this time. Before he could delete it again, he heard Akechi speak up.

"Phone trouble?"

"I might have to get a new one at this rate. But, in more relevant news, you were planning to put my life on the line just to get a shot at revenge?" Yu asked coldly.

"It's not vengeance, it's justice."

"Same thing."

"No it isn't. The difference is mercy."

"Something I won't get in this prison."

"I beg your pardon?"

"This damn school. It's a jail, and I'm it's sole prisoner."

"That's an interesting perspective. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't see this place as a prison."

"Ryuji said it was like a castle."

"Heh, of course he did. But no, I wouldn't say Shujin is like a castle, or a prison. I'd say it's more like… a nation, and Kobayakawa is its ruler."

"And you are the heroic rebel?"

"Of course." Akechi said with a smile and small chuckle.

If Yu didn't have his phone on silent, he would have heard a "Beginning navigation."


	6. Nation of Gluttony

**Author's Notes**: Aha! I finally figured out how to put in Author's Notes! Limonada, thanks for the review! I'm a meme lord at heart, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to tone it down, but I will certainly try. And to everyone else reading, please, feel free to give any feedback you feel is needed! With that out of the way, let's get on with the show!

Yu seemed to immediately get a headache, and Akechi felt the same, judging by how they both grabbed their heads at the same time.

"Ow. What was that?" Yu asked.

"You felt like your skull was about to burst too?" Akechi replied.

Before he could reply, they heard a voice outside.

"You should be honored to be a part of the Shujin Nation!"

Yu and Akechi looked at each other.

_Wait… I touched the app. Shit, this is another LSD trip. I'm so getting my phone replaced when this is over._

"Did you hear that Narukami-san?"

"You did too? I thought this app gave me another drug."

"Another?"

"Believe it or not, strange stuff like has happened before, and every time it was because of this damn app. I don't know how, but every time I activate it, I get these weird visions. Though, nothing on this scale before."

"Well, are there any consistencies with these visions?"

"None. First one, I saw myself in a pillar of electricity, second time I had a dream where I was in prison with two women and a long-nosed gremlin as my wardens. And now, I'm hearing voices."

"But the room looks completely normal. And the noise came from outside. I'm going to investigate."

"Didn't Makoto say that we had to stay here?"

"Ah, details, details." Akechi said with a smile.

_Does this guy enjoy being on the receiving end of the Niijimas' wrath?_

Akechi walked outside the door while Yu looked back at his phone. The app was closed, and when he tried to open any other apps, they wouldn't work. He decided to text Makoto, hoping that she wouldbe back soon. But the message didn't go through, and Yu noticed that he didn't have any reception. At all.

"Great. This probation is the gift that keeps on giving." Yu groaned.

"Narukami-san? You should probably come out and see this." Akechi said, worry in his tone.

Yu rolled his eyes and left, closing the door behind him, and it vanished as soon as it did. His attitude went from annoyance to a mixture of fear and awe at the sight before him. He looked around, rubbing his eyes to make sure he really was seeing this.

"Do… do you see this too Narukami-san?" Akechi asked, no doubt thinking the same things as Yu.

The two looked around. They weren't standing in Shujin Academy. They were standing in the middle of a road inside a small city. Well, to say it was a city would be a bit of a stretch.

"I don't know about you, but I'm seeing what looks like a tourist resort." Yu said.

"That's exactly what I see as well. Two massive hotels, a restaurant, houses-"

"-convenience stores, shops for souvenirs, a police station-" Yu said the last part with a bit of fear in his voice.

"And, is… is that a beach?" Akechi asked.

Yu turned around. It was in fact a beach. The blue ocean waves turned orange in the glow of the sunset, and the sand was free of any umbrellas, chairs, or other things.

"Look, in the distance. I can see something it looks like… an island." Yu added, squinting to make sure he saw it right.

"Look, up on the cliff. An airport." Akechi said, pointing to a cliff that was just past the hotels.

"Look at the billboards." Yu said, pointing to one on their left.

"Remember, Shujin's needs come before your own…?" Akechi quoted.

"What is going on?" Yu asked, shaking his head.

"I don't know. Here, I would like to test something."

Without warning, Akechi went up to Yu and punched him in the shoulder. Hard.

"OW! What the hell Akechi?!"

"I felt the resistance your shoulder gave. And since nothing's changed, it's safe to say that we're not dreaming. Here, Narukami-san, hold up some fingers, and I'll try to guess how many."

Yu then proceeded to raise one finger, the one that was in between his ring and index to full length. Akechi narrowed his gaze at the crude gesture.

"Ha ha ha. Very funny Narukami-san. But since I was able to see clearly, and you have complete control over yourself, it's safe to say that neither of us are under the effects of drugs or alcohol."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that, as improbable as it is, we have to accept that what we're seeing is very real. And judging by the placement of the buildings, I'd say we're in the middle of the town square. Which is odd, since my phone has no reception." Akechi said, waving it around.

"So, our best bet is to find some people and ask them about this. After all, can't have a tourist resort without tourists."

"That does indeed sound like our best bet. Let's go."

The two walked around for a few minutes, and saw banners and billboards everywhere, all saying things such as "Shujin's reputation needs your sacrifices!", "Shujin's reputation comes before all else!" and "Do nothing to tarnish Shujin's reputation, and you will be happy!" The only sounds that could be heard were the blowing of the wind and their footsteps.

"Jeez, when you said Shujin was a nation, I didn't expect this." Yu said as they continued walking.

"This is more like a ghost town than a resort. The sun has only started to set, so shouldn't people be taking romantic stro- wait. You hear that?"

Yu listened, and sure enough, he heard a voice. One that sounded a lot like the one he heard when he first got here. The voice grew louder and louder, and it became easier to make out the words.

"Remember students, heed not the fools that cry for resistance, rebellion, and revolution! Maintaining Shujin's reputation is the only way you can find joy!" It shouted.

"Look, that's where it's coming from!" Yu said.

Turning the corner, they saw a van with speakers mounted on the top. As it rolled by, they saw on the side a picture of Kobayakawa and next to him, the kanji spelled "Joy and prosperity to those who uphold Shujin's reputation." The van sped away, paying the two students no mind.

"That… that was a propaganda van, wasn't it?" Yu asked

"Yes, and with Kobayakawa's face on it. I think it's best we find a way back. We have no idea what we're dealing with here, and if something bad happens, we're not going to be prepared to deal with it." Akechi answered.

"Agreed. The question is, how?"

"Didn't you say this happened when you used an app?"

Yu's eyes widened.

_Wow. I'm such an IDIOT!_

Yu took out his phone. Like before, he had no service, and none of his apps were working. None, except one. The one shaped like an eye. Only this time, it did something other than mess with him: It turned into a black screen, with a yellow and red arrows in the center and a purple circle in the upper left corner. When Yu turned, he saw that the circle move with him.

"Looks like this app is acting like a map now. I'm guessing the two arrows here are you and me. But, the city isn't showing up. It's just us and this purple circle." Yu explained, showing Akechi the phone.

"Then that is our destination. Let's-"

The next thing they heard sent Yu's heart and mind into panic mode and made his blood run cold. Police sirens, and they were getting closer.

_No. No no no no!_

"We need to go, now!" Yu yelled

"What, why? It's just the police."

"EXACTLY!"

"Yu, they're not going to arrest us."

"We're in a place with Kobayakawa's face plastered everywhere like he's a hero."

"That's… a really good point. Let us make haste." Akechi said as the two turned to run.

"Stay where you are!" A voice called out, and Yu suddenly suffered flashbacks to that night and what came after. Being forced into a car, Dojima yelling at everyone, including him, the slamming of a hammer, the disgust of people he once knew, people he helped and sacrificed for, Nanako crying, him tying a noose. He couldn't live through that. Not again.

"We have to run, now!" Yu yelled, turning around, but saw armored cars approaching them from all directions. He desperately looked for a way out as police helicopters flew overhead, men getting ready to repel down.

"Yu, wait! Running will only make it worse." Akechi said, grabbing Yu's arm.

"On the ground! NOW!" An officer ordered as Special Assault Teams filed out of the armored cars.

"Give up! You're surrounded!"

"Akechi, I can't be arrested again. I can't!"

"Calm down Narukami-san. We've done nothing wrong."

"That didn't save me last time."

Yu was about to break out of Akechi's hold when he noticed red laser dots pointing at Akechi and himself. Snipers. Now, he had no choice. He and Akechi put their arms behind their heads, and got down on their knees. The police rushed in, more on Akechi than Yu.

"We finally got you, you bastard!" He said as they snapped the cuffs on Akechi while Yu was still on the ground.

"We've done nothing wrong!"

"You are responsible for endangering Shujin Nation, terrorizing its residents, and attempting to remove our beloved President Kobayakawa from office!"

"President?" Yu asked.

"Beloved?!" Akechi spat.

"Quiet!" the officer yelled, slamming Akechi's head on the pavement.

Yu tried to get a look at the officers. Most of them were in riot gear, and behind the helmets, he wasn't sure if it was because of the adrenaline or something else, but he couldn't see any faces, just a blob of black ink in the shape of a head with red orbs for eyes. They picked up Akechi, attached a set of cuffs to his legs and attached chains that connected them to the cuffs on his wrists, and forced him into an armored car.

"President Kobayakawa will celebrate this day for years!" One cried out, to which the others gave cheers and applause.

"What about this one? The one with the silver hair and eyes?"

"He could be a potential accomplice."

"He doesn't show up on the suspect list. Perhaps Akechi kidnapped him and was in the process of brainwashing him? He could just be a kid who was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Yu closed his eyes and let himself hope they would let him go. If only the cops from that night were this understanding. But his hope was quickly dashed.

"But, better safe than sorry. Throw him in with the Akechi. We will allow our most benevolent Kobayakawa to decide his fate."

Just like with Akechi, they grabbed Yu and cuffed his legs and chained those to the ones on his wrists, and forced him into the same armored car as Akechi. Yu heard several voices in his head.

"_Cause any problems, and you'll be expelled immediately."_

"_If you are expelled, I won't hesitate to kick you out."_

"_Why'd you have to get involved?"_

Yu could feel the tears coming as the car began to move, and he didn't even try to stop them. It was over, he was going to be expelled, then kicked out, and finally, taken back to Juvie, only this time, he'd stay there. His life was now over, one way or another, and he knew it.

_Three days. I couldn't make it through three days._

"Narukami-san? It's going to be ok." Akechi said, noticing his fellow prisoner crying.

"No. No it's not." Yu said, looking back at Akechi, whose nose had been bleeding by having his face slammed into the concrete.

"It will. I won't let Kobayakawa hurt you."

"Is that what you said to Mishima? To Eiko?" Yu growled.

"They have nothing to do with this."

"Oh really? They're both people who thought being with you was a good idea, and now look where they are! My life is ruined Akechi. Once everything is over and done, I'll be sent back to Juvenile Hall, and there is _nothing_ either of us can do about it!"

The tears kept coming, and Yu just let them roll down his cheeks as rage and hopelessness churned within him.

"What did I do to deserve this? I kept my dad from becoming an alcoholic when he found out mom was gone, I helped save three people from destroying their lives, and I befriended a man named Yosuke when everyone else wouldn't even look at him. And for what?! All of them abandoned me! And there was nothing I could do about it. Dad stopped me so that I could live for this?!"

He glared at Akechi but instead of seeing pity, he instead found sympathy and understanding in his crimson eyes.

"I'm truly sorry to hear that Narukami-san. But I promise you, if there's a way to get you out of this, I will take it, even if it costs me my life." Akechi said, determination in his voice.

"You go ahead and do that." Yu muttered as the car stopped.

The two boys were taken out of the car and dragged into the police station. Outside, they saw people wearing the Shujin uniform cheering and throwing fruit at Akechi. After they entered, they were taken to an elevator and went down. Yu swallowed hard, and braced himself for being thrown in a cell the second time. When the elevator doors finally opened up, his and Akechi's eyes widened. This wasn't a normal lockup for a police station. In fact, it was like they entered another building entirely. This was a full blown prison, with the cells going down in a spiral motion, the only way that seemed to go down with them was a long continuous ramp going down the same spiral motion as the cells. Yu looked in the cells and saw that some of them were occupied… by people wearing the Shujin uniform, all being beaten and tortured by men in a military uniform.

"Akechi, do you know any of these people?" Yu asked.

"Quiet!" a guard yelled, shoving Yu's head forward.

Akechi looked around, and his eyes widened in horror. He simply gave a nod, and Yu made and educated guess as to who these people were. Most likely, they were students who tried to give testimony or evidence against Kobayakawa. As they began their descent down the ramp, Yu could hear the cries of anguish from the prisoners, and his heart sank, knowing that he would be joining them.

"I didn't know! Akechi brainwashed me with talk of justice, but all he gave me was pain! I'm begging you, please stop!"

"I promise to tell you everything I know about that bastard! Just stop, please!"

"Helping him wasn't worth it! I'll be a good citizen, I promise! Please!"

Yu felt a pang of guilt, as he knew Akechi could hear them too. He wanted to apologize for being so rude earlier, but he knew what would happen if he tried to speak again.

_Can't even apologize without being punished for it._

As they went lower and lower, the cells became more advanced, going from simple iron bars, to glass, to metal with only a small view through it, to bulkheads. In each cell, they saw a student being interrogated, but it would be more accurate to say they were being tortured, each one forsaking and cursing Akechi. When they finally reached the bottom, both Yu and Akechi were simultaneously horrified and heartbroken at what they saw. At the bottom of the ramp was the floor, but it wasn't made of metal, it was made of rocks, jewels, and metals, all of which were being mined in a quarry opening.

"My God. This… this is inhuman." Akechi whispered.

The miners were none other than Ann Takamaki, Ryuji Sakamoto, Sadayo Kawakami, and Futaba Sakura. All four of them wore collars around their necks, and one of the guards cracked their whips on Ann, getting a scream from her as blood poured from the wound.

"Ann!" Akechi yelled, earning a punch to the jaw from a guard. Ann turned to the duo.

"Stop Akechi. Just stop. You did this to me. You made me fight a war I wasn't involved in and wanted no part of. You put me here. You made me Kobayakawa's slave. So please, just stop." She begged, defeat, hopelessness, fear and pain in her voice.

_Just like me._

Akechi looked to the left and let out a gasp. Yu followed his gaze and saw that there was a bounty board that said "Most Wanted". On the board were pictures of Akechi, Makoto, Ryuji, Ann, Sadayo, Futaba, and a boy and girl Yu didn't recognize. Only Makoto and Akechi were left untouched, while the boy and girl had a skull stamped on their pictures, and the rest had a big red "X" on them.

"I take it the ones with the skull stamp are Mishima and Eiko?" Yu asked.

"QUIET!"

Another punch, this time to the stomach. Brought down to one knee, Yu was grateful that he didn't eat anything for lunch, or it would be puked up on the floor by now. He looked at Akechi, who simply nodded.

"On your feet inmate!"

Yu was grabbed and forced to his feet. He turned to his right and saw a wall-like slab made of concrete, a slab that looked out of place, and was filled with bullet holes, as if someone had been executed by firing squad there. Every sight just made him more and more hopeless and afraid. He'd never get to see his father, his sister, ever again. He's going to spend the rest of his life as a slave working in that quarry, and that's just him. Akechi would no doubt rot in a cell, if not be outright killed.

"Alright, the cell's ready for you two. Get comfy while you can. President Kobayakawa's on his way as we speak." A guard informed them as they were led down a tunnel.

At the end of the tunnel was a small drawbridge, big enough for one person at a time. The guards pushed Akechi first, and Yu followed. Due to how no one else was there, the sound of their chains clinking was almost deafening. They arrived at their destination; a cell being suspended in the air by four chains. The cell was made out of stainless steel, and its door was a small bulkhead that opened up, revealing a padded room that looked like it was barely big enough for one person. Scrawled on the padding, in blood, were the words:

"_**Welcome to hell. It's the one you made yourself**__."_

The two got in, way too close to each other than was comfortable for either. Yu turned to Akechi, who reached inside his coat pockets.

"Still think you can get us out of here?" Yu asked.

"Yes, though now, I know I can't do it with words. Like I said before, no matter how difficult it is to accept. This. Is. Real. And if Kobayakawa truly does reign here, then there's no way I'll be able to talk him into letting us go simply with the argument that 'we've done nothing wrong.'. This is a rigged game, and the only way to win rigged games is to cheat. If we are to get out of this free, or even alive, I believe we will have to force our way out." Akechi explained, getting out a hairpin from his coat.

"And how do we do that?" Yu wondered as Akechi went to work freeing Yu.

"Judging by the fact that they didn't even bother to search us or even get us out of our respective uniforms, I'd say they're stupid, arrogant, or both. We can use either to our advantage."

"But they have bullet-proof vests, machine guns, and most likely combat training. And there's no way you could fit more than maybe three clips in your coat. If we're getting out of here, we'll have to do it without being seen." Yu pointed out.

"Correct. Which will be a problem since the only way out that I saw was that ramp."

"We could disguise ourselves as guards." Yu suggested.

"That sounds like our best bet." Akechi replied as he got the last of the cuffs off of Yu.

"Here, take this." Akechi said, pulling out his gun.

"A-are you sure? I've handled a gun because dad taught me, but I hoped to never use one."

"I've got a plan. That drawbridge is only wide enough for one person at a time. I'll go first, still in chains, then fall down. When a guard comes, you'll have to kill him."

Yu's eyes widened and a cold sweat dropped down his forehead. Kill someone? Sure, he hasn't been able to see their face, but maybe the black stuff was supposed to be a face mask. Yes, he wanted to get out of here, but he wasn't sure he was willing to kill someone for it to happen. If he did kill someone, he'd be exactly what all students in Shujin said he was; a criminal.

"Akechi… I don't… I don't think I'm willing or able to kill another human being."

Yu expected Akechi to get angry, maybe call him weak, but the detective simply nodded.

"I understand. Taking a life is not something to be taken lightly. In that case, we'll switch. You go first, fall down, then I'll kill the guard." Akechi said, putting his gun back in his coat pocket.

Before Yu could put his cuffs back on, the cell door opened, revealing a guard that grabbed Akechi before he could finish getting his cuffs off. Before Yu could try to fight him, he saw laser sights be pointed at his face and chest. Akechi was taken away, and Yu was only allowed to start walking once Akechi had crossed the bridge. The guards hadn't even attempted to put cuffs back on Yu. Akechi was right, they were overconfident.

Once both of them were across, they once again started walking through the tunnel, and with each step, Yu felt like he was on death row, despite the absence of chains. Maybe he would be spared given that he was new, but Akechi was most likely going to suffer a far worse fate, and there was nothing he could do about it. Once they were back in the quarry area, they saw two guards talking to a man. The man was dressed in a white military outfit with a gold outline.

"Sir, I present to you: The rebel Goro Akechi, and his new accomplice: Yu Narukami."

He turned around, revealing that his uniform was decorated with more medals than Yu thought existed, with a purple sash around his chest. His uniform strained to contain the powerful body the man had, and if he took his shirt off, Yu was sure he'd look like an Olympic athlete. He had a bald head, round chin, and a pointed nose. But most disturbing of all were his eyes. They were a bright yellow and glowed like they were in a horror film.

"Hello Goro Akechi. I would have waited an eternity for this."

"K-Kobayakawa? Is that you?"


	7. Seeker of Rebellion

"Yes Akechi. I am President Kobayakawa, ruler of Shujin Nation! The same nation you have terrorized for two whole years." The man yelled, posing with his fist raised, as if he was giving a speech.

"Nation?" Yu asked.

"Of course! Shujin is renowned all over the world as a nation where the best and brightest go in order to be groomed for success. And now, one of it's greatest troublemakers is finally where he belongs: Rotting away, out of sight, and out of mind." Kobayakawa answered.

"You can punish me, but all I ask is that you let Narukami-san go. He's done nothing wrong." Akechi said, hanging his head in defeat and shame.

"Normally, I'd say that being with you is crime enough Akechi, but in this case, you are correct. Narukami is just a poor fool who you were taking advantage of. And this wouldn't be the first time you've lead a citizen astray, and they paid the price for your mistakes, is it?"

Yu felt his blood start to boil. The tone in Kobayakawa's voice showed nothing but haughtiness and pride. Kobayakawa turned to Yu, a snicker on his face.

"Consider yourself lucky young man. None of Akechi's victims had the benefit of being saved before Akechi brainwashed them."

"What are you going to do?" Yu asked, somehow keeping the anger out his voice.

"Simple. You may leave, unharmed. As for the rebel Goro Akechi, he broke the laws of my supreme nation, and the punishment is death."

"W-what? What could he have done to warrant _that _?" Yu asked.

"Simple: He tried to oust me, the _benevolent _-"

Yu heard a crack of a whip at the word, and saw Ann go onto her knees out of the corner of his eye.

"-ruler of Shujin nation. Worse yet, he conscripted citizens into his service, brainwashing them with foolish talk of 'justice'. Hmph. The only justice that matters is the kind that I decree. Here, my word is law. I decide who lives and who dies, because no one else is worthy of that power. But it's hardly their fault that I am naturally superior."

Yu clenched his fist as Kobayakawa prattled on.

"Is that why you blackmail students to do your bidding? Assault and rape their families when they don't cooperate?" Yu interrupted, no longer able to hide his anger.

"Narukami-san, stop. Please. You have the chance to get out without being hurt. Don't waste it. Please, just go, and don't worry about me. It'll be ok. _I'll _be ok." Akechi pleaded, and judging by the sound of his voice, Yu couldn't tell if Akechi was trying to convince himself, or Yu. But Narukami didn't listen.

"Would a superior person strong-arm a 16 year-old into leaking my record? Would a superior person drive a teenager to suicide just because they were associating with a student the 'superior person' didn't like?!" Yu yelled, his anger welling up inside him.

"Acceptable compromises. I don't expect a rodent like you to understand." Kobayakawa growled.

"Of course they're acceptable to you."

"Narukami-san, please..." Akechi pleaded as the scowl on Kobayakawa's face grew worse and worse.

"You're not superior person, you're just a bully in a costume, doing whatever the hell you want because you enjoy the power trip, all while lying to yourself and saying that it's for the reputation of some overrated academy!"

That had pushed Kobayakawa over the edge. The muscled dictator gave a swift punch to Narukami's gut, knocking all the air out of him, and the crunch of cracking ribs was heard loud and clear. Yu was hunched over on his knees, coughing and gasping for air.

"It seems I was wrong. Akechi truly did get his hooks in you." Kobayakawa said, standing over Yu.

"However-" Kobayakwa said, grabbing Yu by the hair and lifting him off the ground.

"I am a merciful man."

Yu could hear another crack of the whip and another scream from Ann at the word 'merciful'.

"I am willing to strike a bargain with you."

"What the hell can I give you, that you can't simply rip from people's lives?"

"Information. You see, I may have Akechi, but there is one other rebel, one who is just as arrogant and foolish as this so-called 'detective'. Her name is Makoto Niijima. Sound familiar?"

"You stay away from her!" Akechi yelled, prompting another punch from a guard.

"Be silent Akechi. Your life is forfeit." Kobayakawa said, picking up Yu and making sure the young man could stand.

"If you want to get out of here alive, you must, first and foremost, be an upstanding citizen of Shujin Nation. You must obey all the rules, do nothing that could embarrass me, and follow my orders to the letter. Second, you must report any and all incriminating information about Makoto Niijima. In exchange, you get to reap the rewards of being in the best nation known to man. What do you say?" Kobayakawa asked, extending his hand as Yu's anger returned a thousand fold.

This man was never satisfied. He was willing to all kinds of depraved ends simply to satiate his own gluttonous appetite for power. Staying out of trouble be damned, expulsion be damned, probation be damned, the rigged system be damned, Yu was going to do something about it. Yu looked Kobayakawa straight in the eyes, steely grey meeting unnatural yellow. Kobayakawa saw something in those grey orbs; the fire of rebellion, a fire he had put out many times. But this one was different. In others, the spark was fleeting, destined to go out the moment it encountered any resistance, like a candle in church. But this wasn't a candle. No, this spark would lead to an inferno that couldn't be doused no matter what tried to put it out, and each attempt would only make the flames of defiance return even stronger.

"Do you really think that I would deliver my probation officer's sister to your claws, in exchange for being allowed to simply exist?! You leaked my record and expect me to obey you?! I say this; you can take Shujin's reputation and shove it up your ass!" Yu answered, throwing a punch to Kobayakawa's face with all of his strength. Strength that didn't even manage to turn Kobayakwa's head. The dictator turned to look Yu in the eyes, his face contorting into a snarl.

"You would rather die than submit to your betters? Then so be it!"

Kobayakawa threw another punch, this time it hit Yu straight in the jaw, knocking out a tooth and sending him straight to the ground. As he made impact, Yu knew that would leave a mark, and shortly after, tasted blood. Then, he felt a boot on his face starting to press down.

"This is where worthless scum like you belong. Under the heels of your superiors." Kobayakawa said, stamping his foot hard on Yu.

"Stop it you bastard!" Akechi yelled, trying to force his way out of the guards' grip.

"Hmph. You'll just have to wait your turn Narukami. Guards, hold him and make sure he doesn't turn away. I want him to witness the fate of all who oppose President Kobayakawa. Prepare the firing squad!"

Four soldiers marched in, all with assault rifles. Two more guards forced Yu up and held him in place, making sure he'd watch.

"Put Akechi up against the wall!"

The soldiers dragged Akechi to the concrete wall, removing the cuffs that limited his movement, and placing his arms in chains that forced him to spread his upper body.

"The vermin is secured and ready to be executed on your orders sir."

_ No. No! I can't let this happen! I have to do something! _

Yu started to struggle. Kobayakawa was no better than the man who had him arrested, the man who was willing to assault and most likely rape a woman simply because he thought he was born superior to everyone else. Kobayakawa had ruined so many lives, all for the sake of a school's reputation, just like how that man ruined Yu's life because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Ready!" Kobayakawa ordered, the squad loading their weapons

They were going to kill Akechi. Yu wanted to stop it, he wanted to stop Kobayakawa, he wanted to do _something _. Yu continued to struggle, but he had to give up, the guards were simply too strong for him.

Then, he heard a voice. It was otherworldly, powerful, and firm.

** "Is that truely the extent of your will? A few meager pushes and shoves? They will kill him if you do not act. Is that the kind of man your father raised? A bystander who will let injustice, deceit, and corruption reign?" **The spectral voice asked, and Yu could hear himself in the words, as if he was talking through a filter. Judging by how no one else reacted to it, Yu had to guess the voice was coming from in his head. No, it was coming from his soul. And his response came from the same place.

_ No… that's not me. Dad taught me that being a good person in this world comes with a price, and that it's a price worth paying! _

** "Is it? What if your actions here become a mistake, like on that night?"**

_ That wasn't a mistake. _

** "Very well. If that is what you truly believe, then let us seal our contract."**

There was a THUMP that echoed through the room, like the heartbeat of a creature brought to life. Yu suddenly felt a skull splitting pain. Had it not been for the guards holding his arms down, he would have grabbed his skull to ease the throbbing.

(Music: watch?v=cjzQXrUXuHk&t=14s)

**"I am thou, thou art I** . **"**

Yu screamed, and he screamed louder than he thought possible. He shook against the guards' grip, the two now having to use both of their hands to hold him down, a new strength surging within.

"Aim!" Kobayakawa ordered, both he and his men indifferent to the wails of agony.

The squad pointed their guns at Akechi, who was struggling in vain to break free.

** "The time has come. Thou art willing to do any and all acts to obtain the truth and deliver justice upon the wicked. Now, awaken the power within thou and right the wrongs of this world!"**

Yu thought his head was going to explode from all the pain. It felt like something was in his skull, and it was clawing desperately to get out, like a diver trying to reach the surface.

** "Open thy eyes and call forth what is within!"**

There was a sudden burst of energy, knocking all the officers back and even catching Kobayakawa off guard. When the dust settled, Yu felt something on his face, heavy and uncomfortable. He instinctively reached up to touch it, and found it was a mask. It was a masquerade mask, with its nose curved like a hawk's, and Yu's fingers traced a Roman numeral "II" on the forehead. Somehow, he knew what he had to do, what would come after if he did it. And that knowledge made him smile. The firing squad got back up, pointing their guns at Yu and inching closer as he grabbed the edges of his mask.

"Per-" He whispered as he started to pull with all his strength, ignoring the flesh that peeled off with the mask.

"-So-" He pulled again, pain like never before being felt throughout his face and blood splattering everywhere. But he didn't care, he had to get this off.

"-Na!" He yelled, finishing the job, ignoring the pain and blood gushing from his face. The mask fell to the ground as the word he spoke hang in the air like a fog.

He raised his head at the others. His eyes were glowing an unholy yellow, his face was covered with his blood, but the most disturbing feature was his smile. A bizarre, twisted grin was plastered on his face, and soon, a chuckle was heard, but it did not come from Narukami's lips. A blue flame enveloped Yu, devouring the Shujin uniform, and left another outfit in its place. A black tangzhuang shirt with a golden dragon printed on the right side, black dress pants with silver trimmings, black dress shoes with gold scales that would clink whenever he took a step, and white gloves with golden claws attached. Once the flames were done giving Yu this new outfit, they peeled off of him like a second skin and merged to give birth to a new creature.

Hovering behind Yu was a man wearing a uniform, but not one any had ever seen before; a red and black trench coat with a silver vest with a bright white ascot tie and black pants. It wore a white helmet that shone bright yellow eyes behind it and attached behind the helmet where two belts that reached all the way to his feet, which were in sandals that had razor sharp blades for soles. It wore clawed gloves that held a massive naginata with a blade so sharp, it could cleave through any metal like it was warm butter. Yu raised his hand and flung it towards the firing squad, and the creature swung its weapon with one hand in the blink of an eye, instantly beheading them all, and their bodies dissolved into a black fog before they even hit the floor.

** "I am the original god of Japan.** **_IZANAGI!_****"** It roared like a crack of thunder.

Yu couldn't suppress his smile even if he wanted to. For the first time since that night, he had the power to control his life. For the first time since that night, he could act without fear of the consequences. For the first time since that night, he was free. He had almost forgotten how good it felt, and he vowed to never forget again.

Akechi could do nothing but stand in awe, while Kobayakawa turned to the two guards.

"Don't just stand there! Kill him! NOW!" He ordered.

Two guards charged forth and soon exploded, melting into black sludge that soon reformed itself into a fairy and a Jack-O-Lantern with a cape, hat, gloves, and lantern. Yu, still smiling, clapped his hands together on instinct, and when he spread them apart, a blue flame was burning between them. He reached his hand through the flame and closed it into a fist. The flame soon evaporated, and in Yu's hand, a two-handed katana with a single phrase engraved in gold on the razor sharp blade; _Truth is powerful, and it prevails. _

** "If you wish to overcome this crisis, you must draw upon your inner strength and use it to destroy those who oppose you!"** Izanagi bellowed as Yu looked at his enemies with a wild look in his eyes, while the other soldiers escorted Kobayakawa to safety..

Yu did as Izanagi said, and he heard a voice whisper a word of power in his head.

"Zio!" Yu cried out.

Izanagi spun his weapon around, causing a lightning bolt to shoot out and strike the Jack-O-Lantern, and the fairy stepped in, hitting Izanagi right in the chest with a swift kick. Yu felt a throb in his head, as if he just got a bad headache, but it was gone as soon as it came. Yu regained his resolve, with Izanagi now looking more angry than hurt.

** "There are many ways to win your battles. Experiment to satisfy even the faintest curiosity."**

"Cleave!" Narukami ordered.

Izanagi grabbed his weapon and skewered the fairy on it. Within moments, she let out a final breath and faded to ash. The Jack-O-Lantern rushed and swung with its lantern, but Yu was too fast. Dodging out of the way, Yu swung the sword in his hand, cutting the Jack-O-Lantern in half. After it faded to ash like the fairy, Yu gave a flick of his blade to remove the black sludge that was the monsters' blood. Izanagi turned to Akechi and with a quick slash, freed him from his chains. And just like that, a blue flame engulfed Yu yet again, and when it vanished, Izanagi vanished with it.

** "If you need to call upon your true self again, simply say my name, and I will heed your orders."** Izanagi said, before vanishing into thin air.

"Wh-what on God's Earth was that?" Akechi asked, his legs slightly wobbling.

"I… I don't know. All I felt was this mask-"

Yu reached up to touch his mask again, only to find that it had vanished. Not only that, but his clothes had reverted to his uniform. Before either could try to make sense of it, they heard alarms blaring.

"ALERT! ALERT! THE REBEL GORO AKECHI AND HIS ACCOMPLICE YU NARUKAMI ARE FREE! ALL UNITS: REPORT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PRIVATE PRISON! SHOOT ON SIGHT AND SHOOT TO KILL!" the PA system blared.

"We need to go." Yu said.

"But how? The only way out is that ramp!" Akechi yelled back.

Yu looked around, trying to see something that could help them. A hiding spot, a secondary route, anything. In the distance and through the alarms, he could hear footsteps. A lot of footsteps.

_ Think Narukami, think. No prison would ever have just one way in or out. That's just poor design and begging for a disaster to happen. Think. You didn't see any other ramps on the way down, just doors to other cells. There was only one cell down here, and there was nothing out of the ordinary, just metal walls and… _

Yu turned to the slab of concrete that Akechi was previously chained to. Why would they use this rather than a metal wall? Running to the edge of the concrete, Yu found a crack between the slab and the metal wall behind it. Through that crack, he felt a draft. The footsteps were getting louder.

"Akechi, help me tip this thing over!" Yu ordered, pulling at the crack.

With Akechi's help, the two were able to tip the slab over like a stage prop. It fell with a _THUD _, revealing just what Yu hoped: An exit in the form of a heavy metal door.

"An emergency exit hidden behind a slab of concrete? Not bad." Akechi said.

"Run for our lives now, admire prison design later." Yu replied, opening the door.

The two stepped through. As Yu turned around to close the door, he saw a guard reach the bottom of the ramp, one with an RPG. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as the soldier loaded his weapon while Yu stood like a deer stuck in headlights. Then Yu felt a shove, and Akechi stepped in front of him, pistol drawn. A gunshot rang out as the guard fell backwards just as he pulled the trigger, his RPG tilted by his sudden movement, pointing at the ramp, now full of several guards. Yu saw the explosion tear through steel and heard screams as the cops on the ramp were vaporized by the explosion, and saw that they didn't bleed blood, but black sludge, just like those monsters from before. Akechi closed the door and locked it.

"Nice shot." Yu said, impressed.

"Run for our lives now, admire my shooting skills later."

Yu simply nodded, and turned around. In front of him was what looked like another prison, but this time, it looked like an actual prison, rather than a spiral/drill. There were hundreds, if not thousands of cells, all of them empty and made of glass, creating a silence that was more disturbing than calming.

"ALERT! ALERT! AKECHI AND NARUKAMI ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PUBLIC PRISON! ALL UNITS, REPORT THERE IMMEDIATELY! SHOOT ON SIGHT, AND SHOOT TO KILL!" The PA system roared, and just like before, the alarms flashed and blared, and Yu and Akechi took that as their cue to run.

* * *

Due to the fact that this place had the layout of a real life prison made it easier to navigate away and hide from incoming guards, evasion that was made easier by the silence of the prison. Before, the cries of anguish was all they could hear, but now, the quiet was more eerie than comforting. The feeling was made even worse by the fact that the only form of navigation the two had was Yu's phone as they tried desperately to reach the purple circle. But they were running in circles and getting tired. The two turned at a hallway back into the main prison section. By now, the noise of the alarm had died down, and only the flashing lights served to remind them that they were still being hunted by Kobayakawa's private police.

"This isn't working. We have to find another way." Yu said leaning against a rail, catching his breath.

"Agreed, but what else can we do?" Akechi asked, leaning on the rail as well. If they turned around, they would see that the cell behind them was occupied. They heard footsteps and instinctively went back the way they came, hiding behind a wall as a squad approached.

"Any sign of the rebel and his accomplice?"

"None sir."

"Then spread out!"

"That way! They went that way!" An unknown and feminine voice declared.

"Which way?"

"That way! Across the bridge!" The voice's owner answered, pointing at the direction away from Akechi and Yu. The two held their breath as footsteps thundered pass them and slowly faded into nothing.

"It's clear. You two can come out now." The voice said.

The two came out of their hiding spot, looking at the voice's source: The occupant of the glass cell, and perhaps the only occupant of the whole 'Public Prison'.

Akechi and Yu looked at the person. It was a woman, slightly shorter than Yu, a slim but toned body, with shoulder-length straight raven black hair, and azure eyes slightly darker than Ann's. She wore a skintight catsuit, with white gloves that went past the wrist, white boots, a yellow scarf, and had what looked like a utility belt around her waist, with a scimitar attached to her back and a whistle around her neck. Yu's eyes focused on one particular detail on the belt, a blue disk that acted as the buckle. A disk with a golden 'V' imprinted on it.

"Thank you… miss… ?" Yu asked, wondering what her name was.

"Pleased to meet you, fellow Trickster. I am Morgana."


	8. Getaway

"Trickster? What are you talking about?" Yu asked, nervously thinking back to his dream, the one with the prison, with that long nosed man, those girls. It had to be a dream. Right?

"Well duh! I'm talking about you silly! Someone who uses their Persona to oppose ruin!" Morgana answered cheerfully.

Before either Yu or Akechi could ask anything, Morgana cut them off.

"But we don't have time for explanations. Another batch of guards will be coming around any time now. Help me get out of here!" She pleaded.

"You have a sword and a utility belt." Yu pointed out.

"Ok Mr. Smartypants. Why don't you try to use your sword to break me out?" Morgana replied, irritated.

Yu did as she said, using his sword to stab the glass, only for his blade to bounce off, doing nothing. Morgana crossed her arms. He then tried to slash at the glass, only for his sword to leave scratches. Morgana raised her eyebrow as if to say 'Told you so.'

"Uh-huh, that's what I thought. Now let me out!"

"Why should we?" Yu asked.

"You owe me! Those guards would have caught you if it wasn't for me!"

"Why should we trust you?" Akechi asked.

"I'm locked up! How could I be the enemy?"

"I don't mean that, I mean, how do we know you won't double-cross us to save your hide?"

"One, my top priority is to guide and protect the Wild Card. Him." Morgana said, pointing at Narukami.

"Two, if I wanted to sell you out, I'd do so with the guards from earlier. Three, I want to get out of here too, since that scumbag, Komowaka, or whatever, put me here. Now come on! I can sense the guards getting closer!"

"Should we do it?" Akechi asked.

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because she has an interest in you."

"Not only that, but… I can get you out of here." Morgana added, saying the last part in a sing-song voice.

"Looks like it's a risk we'll have to take. If we get you out of the cell, you'll help us get out of here, deal?"

"Deal! Just kick the control box next to my cell door." Morgana said.

Yu did as the woman said, and sure enough, the glass lifted itself. Morgana walked out, doing stretches once she was out of her cage.

"Ahhhh, freedom, how I have missed thee!" She said, as she stretched her back.

"We held up our end, now it's your turn. I'm Yu Narukami by the way." Yu said.

"I'm Goro Akechi."

"Thanks for freeing me. Now come on. There's only one way in and out of either prisons; the elevator. And getting to it won't be an easy feat. But we'll cross that bridge when we reach it, so for now, let's go. Guards." Morgana said, breaking into a light jog, Yu and Akechi following shortly behind.

Just like before, they were able to avoid the guards, following Morgana's lead. Eventually, they were able to successfully reach the elevator, but there was a problem, it was guarded, and unfortunately the guard looked strong. Unlike the previous ones, which had a standard police uniform, this guy was dressed in a full military setup, from the bullet-proof vest to an assault rifle. The only thing that didn't belong was the riot helmet.

"Alright, if we're gonna get out of this, you'll have to learn, Wild Card." Morgana whispered, turning to the boys and looking at Narukami.

"Learn what?"

"As you may have guessed, these guards aren't human beings. They're called Shadows; suppressed and twisted human desires given form. The best way to fight these things is with something called a Persona."

"Persona? That's what you yelled before you summoned Izanagi, Narukami-san."

"He's already awakened?! Sweet, that makes this so much easier. Alright, get ready to call forth this 'Izanagi', because we're gonna have to fight to get out of here."

At the thought of calling Izanagi, a blue flame engulfed Yu, vanishing just as quick as it appeared. Akechi let out a gasp.

"Narukami-san, look at your clothes!"

Yu turned to a nearby cell and saw his reflection. He wore the same outfit as before, when he first called Izanagi. But there was something there that wasn't before. On his face was a silver and white masquerade mask with its nose curved like a hawk and the Roman numeral "II" was branded in gold in the center of his forehead.

"Not going to lie, I look good in this." Yu said, admiring his set of clothes.

"You sure do. But you can admire yourself later. Right now, I need to teach you some of the basics to fighting." Morgana whispered, motioning him to come closer.

"Ok so… how do I put this. Izanagi, your Persona, can only be summoned by revealing your true self. To do that, you have to take the mask off."

"Like this?" Yu reached for his masquerade mask, but Morgana stopped him.

"Not now you idiot!" She yelled a little too loudly.

"What was that? Who's there?!" the guard yelled, leaving his post and approaching the group.

"Crap! So much for ambushing. Alright Wild Card, we'll have to do this the hard way."

Morgana reached onto her back and pulled out the scimitar, ran from their hiding spot and slashed at the heavily armored guard before he could react. In response to the sudden attack, the guard bent his back backwards in a way that shouldn't have been possible, and soon, his body dissolved into a black puddle that reformed itself into no less than three Jack-O-Lanterns and two floating orbs with mouths, purple tongues slobbering as they moved into attack formation.

"Alright, listen up. In our battle against Ruin, we'll encounter all kinds of enemies. Each will have strengths and weaknesses. Let me show you."

Morgana stood to her full height, the blue light of her irises expanding until her entire eyes were azure in color. When she spoke, her voice boomed and seemed to fill the whole prison, and the same fire that consumed Yu when he first called Izanagi erupted behind her.

"Come, _**Lady Trieu**_!"

The fire gave shape to a woman wearing a red kimono that had orange leaves scattered at the bottom in a pattern that looked like a raging fire, while imprinted on the back was a single yellow star. On her head, she wore a Japanese straw hat that hid her upper face, showing only her black hair tied in a loose ponytail and her black lipstick-colored lips, which seemed fixed in a sly grin. At her feet lay a small mound of corpses that supported her spiked wooden sandals, and on her left shoulder was a square wooden shield that had 'I'd like to ride the storm, kill sharks in the open sea, drive out the aggressors, reconquer the country, undo the ties of serfdom, and never bend my back to be the concubine of any man.' written on it in blood. Her left hand was on her hip, while in the her right was a nodachi resting on her right shoulder.

The Jack-O-Lanterns' advance was brought to a halt in the face of this new adversary, while Akechi went wide-eyed at their new friend having the same power as Yu. Morgana crossed her arms and smirked as Yu stood next to her. Ripping off his mask like before, only this time, his upper face caught fire rather than bleeding. Strangely enough, the fire was more comforting and empowering than painful.

"IZANAGI!" Yu cried out, and like he said he would, the god appeared behind Yu, ready to battle. By now, the Jack-O-Lanterns and floating mouths had regained their senses and resolve.

"Alright, watch and learn. Every enemy has a weakness. Lady Trieu! Garru!"

The woman behind Morgana raised her curved weapon to the sky. Yu expected her to attack with the blade itself, but instead, green swirls formed underneath one of the Jack-O-Lanterns, erupting and knocking it down. The others were stunned, before Lady Trieu raised her katana again, with the same result on another Jack-O-Lantern. The third moved and fired a fireball at Morgana, who yelled at the pain. One of the floating orbs approached Yu and rammed into him hard, knocking him back into the wall. Yu recovered quickly, wiping the blood from his cut lips.

"Zio!" Yu ordered.

Once again, Izanagi spun his naginata, causing a bolt of lightning to strike the orb, making it fall to the ground, dazed and confused. Before the second one could try anything, Yu repeated the action, with the same result. By now, Morgana had recovered from the fireball and a final green vortex knocking the last Jack-O-Lantern down. All five enemies laid down on the floor, dazed and vulnerable.

"Alright! This is what happens if you manage to hit their weaknesses. Once they're knocked down, we can go for an 'All-Out Attack'. Just get in there, hit hard and hit fast, and hold nothing back!"

With that, Morgana leaped into the air, pulling out a slingshot and firing metal balls as she fell before pulling out her scimitar, while Yu charged like a bull. The two slashed at the Shadows with wild abandon, kicking up a massive storm in the process. No enemy was spared from their onslaught, Yu utilizing his kendo club skill and Morgana using her experience, and soon enough, the dust cleared, revealing all five Shadows bleeding before turning into ash. Yu turned to Morgana, who gave a smirk in approval.

"Nice! You're a natural at this Wild Card!"

"I already gave you my name."

"Yea, yea. But I won't use it while we're in here."

"Why?" Akechi asked.

Before Morgana could answer, they heard footsteps and voices.

"I heard yelling and sounds of a battle. This way!"

"No time to explain. We need to hurry!" Morgana said and the three made their way into the elevator. There were only two buttons: an up arrow and a down arrow. All three of them slammed their fingers into the up arrow several times. The doors closed as hundreds of guards arrived, readying their guns and firing, but to no avail. Yu pulled out his phone and sighed since he saw that the purple circle had gotten farther. As the elevator went up, a blue flame engulfed Yu, the sensation of his clothes changing becoming more familiar.

"Huh, seems you don't have full control over your powers yet." Morgana said, sounding a little disappointed.

"What do you mean 'yet'?" Yu asked

"It appears your powers only activate when you're in immediate danger. Don't worry. With enough time, you'll have full control." She assured.

There was a ding of an elevator and the three stepped out, carefully looking around to make sure they were alone. They were standing in the middle of a regular police station, the same police station Yu and Akechi were hauled to.

"Alright, coast is clear. Let's go." Morgana said, the three walking through the station, walking as if they were in a minefield. The lobby was completely empty, any civilians evacuated and officers down in the prisons. They soon saw the exit sign and walked through, and were greeted with the outside world, an empty parking lot right in front of them. They tasted freedom as they breathed a collective sigh of relief as fresh air smacked them in the face. Until they heard the PA system turn on.

"ALERT! ALERT! AKECHI AND NARUKAMI HAVE ESCAPED THE PUBLIC PRISON WITH THE HELP OF AN ADDITIONAL ACCOMPLICE! ALL OFFICERS, REPORT TO THE POLICE STATION AT ONCE! SHOOT ON SIGHT AND SHOOT TO KILL!"

Shortly after that announcement was made, sirens could be heard in the distance. And the other guards would no doubt cram as many as they could into the elevator to flank them.

"Crap. And we were so close too." Akechi said with a grimace.

"We're not finished yet evil-eye!" Morgana said

"Evil-eye? That's the best you could come up with?"

"What? Your eyes are red, and only bad guys have red eyes!"

"Are you serious?"

"Hey! Run for our lives now, complain about poor taste in nicknames later!" Yu yelled.

"Alright, but what I said was true; we're not finished yet."

Morgana reached for the whistle around her neck and blew into it. No one could hear anything at first, but then, a big black bus with blue headlights could be seen driving at about 80 MPH down the road before turning the corner and entering the station square, never slowing down as it approached the group.

"Um, isn't it going to slow down?" Akechi asked.

The bus got closer and closer, until right in front of them, it screeched to a halt, its whole body bending in a comedic fashion like it was in a cartoon. There were three doors on the side, the middle and front doors opened up as soon as the bus stopped.

"Here it is, our getaway vehicle, the Mona-mobile!" Morgana declared proudly, gesturing for the boys to get in as she went through the front door and taking the driver's seat.

Akechi and Yu went in through the middle. The bus itself wasn't that big, maybe nine people tops would be able to fit in here, but it was state of the art, with leather seats, cup holders, air conditioners and heaters, and even small TV screens on the back of the seats to play movies on. And on the dashboard itself, where the radio, AC and other control functions was a massive computer screen with several buttons. Akechi let out a whistle at the sight, and Yu noticed a trigger attached to the stick shaft.

"Glad to hear you're impressed, I designed her myself. Now, I'd say we overstayed our welcome. Wild Card! You were looking at your phone earlier?"

"Right. Take us to this." Yu said, leaning forward, showing her the purple circle on his phone. The cop cars pulled up and Morgana slammed her foot on the gas.

"Hang on!" She ordered, the Mona-mobile ploughing through the cop cars like it was a tank. As it speed off, three more cop cars arrived and began pursuit.

"Oh great. Come on then. Let me show you what my car can do." Morgana whispered to herself, grinning as she did. One of the cars got close enough to ram the bus, lining up to make the kill. And it probably would have too, had Morgana not flicked the turn signal lever, firing off thrusters at the side of the bus, slamming into the car full force, sending it off the roads and on its sides. The passengers heard the roar of blades and looked up to see a police helicopter approaching. And directly ahead was a roadblock composed of armored cars. This prompted Morgana to speed up, aiming right for the roadblock.

"What are you doing?! We're going to hit it!" Akechi yelled.

Morgana maneuvered the Mona-mobile so that it was aiming right for a space between two trucks.

"We're not going to make it!" Yu yelled.

Morgana sped up, her grin only getting wider from the discouragement.

"WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT!" Akechi repeated, the words having no effect on Morgana.

Seeing that nothing they could do would deter her, they both took what cover they could behind the seats, waiting for the inevitable crash. And waited. And waited. And then they waited some more. Finally, they poked their heads out just in time for the Mona-mobile to rush past the roadblock without even scratching its paint job. The cop cars however, weren't so lucky, both crashing into their own roadblock as they attempted to mimic Morgana's driving.

"Made it." she said with a smirk.

Making a U-Turn at the end of a street, the helicopter got ahead of them, and dropped a spike strip. Morgana swerved around it and began to speed down the beach. Dodging another spike strip from the helicopter, she pushed a button near the dashboard, causing the screen to light up with an image of an EMP.

"What are you doing?" Akechi asked

"Getting rid of that chopper." Morgana answered, pushing the down arrow, cycling through screen after screen. A female mechanical voice piped up with each image.

"Side flamethrowers, missiles, jammer, spike strips, turbo boost, harpoon, ejector seats, railgun."

"There we are." Morgana said as she pushed a green button, making the front windshield light up, a target reticle moving until it found the helicopter. Akechi and Yu could hear activity on the roof as the center opened up, and from the opening, a railgun popped up. Morgana reached down to the stick shaft and pulled the trigger. A light blue energy beam shot out from the car and slammed straight into the helicopter's tail, the metal tearing like it was styrofoam.

"Alright Morgana!" Yu yelled as the chopper fell down, exploding on impact.

"Well done! We're sorry we doubted you."

"Awww, thanks. Looks like there's no immediate threats, so let's get going."

Ignoring the total destruction they unleashed, Morgana drove the trio to the purple circle. Yu and Akechi got out, looking around. The area it was in was in the middle of a road that led to a tropical jungle and Shujin Nation. From where they were now, it looked like something out of a brochure, a peaceful resort bathing in the golden light of the setting sun. The only thing that ruined the scene was the sign that said 'Welcome to Shujin Nation! Obey President Kobayakawa and you'll enjoy your stay!' Akechi and Yu looked at his phone, they were just outside the circle. Upon entering it, the map turned into a single question.

"Do you wish to return to the real world? Yes. No."

Before Yu could slam his finger down on the 'yes' button, Akechi stopped him.

"Wait. I have questions."

"Who cares?"

"I do. Let me ask Morgana-san a few things before we go back."

"Fine, but make it fast."

Akechi turned to Morgana, who was still in the driver's seat of the Mona-mobile.

"Thank you for all of your help Morgana-san."

"Anytime. I'm glad I got to meet you two. Both of you head back to the waking world, I need to go. Now."

"Wait, I have too many questions!"

"You'll have to ask them when you come back. I have other business here. Go, now."

Before Akechi could protest, more police sirens could be heard, and the Mona-mobile sped off. Yu grabbed the teenage detective and slammed his finger into the 'yes' button. They felt a small headache as the world seemed to shift around them, the lines that made up shapes distorting, twisting, and blurring, until finally, it stopped, and the world looked much more familiar.

"You have returned to the real world. Welcome back." A mechanical voice chipped from Yu's phone. They looked around. They were in the alleyway that Ryuji used for a shortcut to the school. They looked at the direction they came from, and instead of seeing the resort of Shujin Nation, they saw the building of Shujin Academy. They had indeed returned to the real world from wherever that other place was.

"We did it. WE DID IT!" Yu yelled, his smile stretching as wide as it could as he held his hand out for Akechi to high-five. Which he did, a smile also on his face.

"Indeed. Though, I wish I could get some of my questions answered."

"I'm just glad we escaped certain death_._"

"**YU NARUKAMI!**" a voice erupted that made both boys go wide-eyed and their blood freeze in terror. They both turned and saw two _very_ angry Niijimas making their way to the pair.

_ I spoke too soon_.

**Author's Notes: **Hey guys, just here to answer/reply to some of the comments!

**Helel, the Guardian of Light: **Thanks for the kind words dude! To answer your question, Morgana is light-skinned, like Ann

**Platypus-Books:** I'm glad you're enjoying it man! Any and all critique is welcome!


	9. Rest and Relaxation?

Yu and Akechi looked at the two women then to each other, an 'Oh shit, we are so screwed' look written all over their faces. As the girls marched closer, Yu suddenly remembered that Makoto knew aikido and Sae knew kickboxing. He realized he would rather be punched by that Kobayakawa a thousand times over in the balls than face the wrath of these two women. He turned around and considered running for dear life, but he knew that doing so would only make the situation worse. He looked to Akechi for protection, only to find that the teen detective had taken cover behind the silver-haired student like the two women were walking bombs.

"Where. Were. You?" Sae asked through gritted teeth, each word sounding like a curse.

"W-well…. You see… um… ah…" Yu stuttered, unable to use his brain at the sight of both Niijimas giving him their worst possible stares. There was no way they'd believe any of the truth, and even if they did…

_ They're going to kick me out for sure. _

"What happened to your face?" Makoto asked.

Yu put his hand up to his face and found that where Kobayakawa punched him had started to bruise, and he felt a cut on his lip from when the orb rammed him. Sae noticed once her sister pointed it out, and her eye started to twitch.

_ Forget kick me out, she'll throttle me at this rate. _

"What. Happened?" Sae demanded again. If all that she interrogated were given this treatment, then Yu suddenly found himself pitying that plagiarizing artist she locked up.

"I… I…"

"You what?"

"I saw someone being mugged." Yu blurted out.

"... Continue."

Yu took a deep breath to steady himself. His life depended on his next words, and if he wasn't careful, they'd see right through him. It was now or never.

"When Akechi and I were in the Council room, I saw someone getting mugged and… acted on instinct. I rushed out before Akechi could stop me. By the time I got out, the mugger was running down an alleyway, and… I followed." Yu made up, doing everything he could to appear truthful. When neither Sae nor Makoto said anything, he took it as his cue to continue.

"I had him cornered, but… he brought friends. I… fought them and I got hit. But before they could do anything besides hit my face, Akechi reached me."

Both Niijimas turned their attention to the man cowering behind Yu, and he only got more terrified as a result.

"And?" Sae asked, her blazing red orbs focused on her charge once again.

"He talked to them, but they wouldn't back off. Until he pulled out his gun and gave them a warning shot. After that, they got lost. I wasn't able to get the wallet." Yu said, scratching the back of his head and looking down.

Sae and Makoto stared at Akechi, who was now whimpering in fear. Yu wondered if it was possible to have PTSD from having two women stare at you.

"Akechi, let me see your gun. Now." Sae ordered, holding up her hand.

Akechi reached into his coat and handed her his pistol sheepishly. She inspected it thoroughly. Yu saw her glare soften slightly.

"It does show signs of being fired. But… " She said, unloading the clip.

"Why does the clip have all its bullets?" She questioned, glare returning.

Akechi and Yu looked surprised and turned to each other.

"It's a fresh clip Sae-san." Akechi explained. Sae didn't let up the glare as she gave his gun back.

"You expect us to believe that a simple mugging and what you told us would last for two hours?" Makoto asked.

Once again, the boys looked at each other, and some color left their faces.

"Did you say two hours?" Yu asked.

"Yes Narukami! Why else would Makoto call me to help her track you two down?!"

"Well… it's just that…" Yu began, trailing off.

"I told Yu to stay where he was after making sure he was ok. I decided to follow them, maybe learn their identities. But after following them for awhile, I decided to stop. If I took this matter to the police, I wouldn't have had enough evidence to get them, plus doing so would bring down more misfortune on Narukami-san. AND, it would not do for an officer of the law to fire on civilians." Akechi explained.

"That doesn't explain why neither of you answered either of our texts." Sae replied.

"Texts?" Akechi asked, both he and Yu pulling out their phones. Indeed, both had numerous texts from Makoto and Sae. Yu winced as he read Makoto's.

'Yu-kun, where are you? I came back to the Council room and neither you or Akechi-kun were there. I've looked around the school, but can't find you.'

'Is Akechi-kun with you? Please answer.'

'Yu-kun, if this is a prank, it isn't funny. Please tell me where you are.'

'I tried texting Akechi-kun but he won't respond either. Please don't do anything stupid Yu-kun.'

'Yu-kun, I am seriously starting to get worried. Please answer me.'

'Yu-kun, if you don't answer, I'll have to call Sis. Please don't make me.'

'Yu Narukami, answer your phone or else!'

'FINE'

'I called Sis and explained the situation. I hope whatever you were doing was worth it.'

Yu felt his blood start to freeze when he saw the single text Sae sent him.

'You are in _very _big trouble young man. I'm on my way to Shujin, and you and Akechi had better be there when I arrive, or so God help me, you'll wish you stayed in Juvie.'

The boys turned up from their phones to see that the girls' glares hadn't let up in the slightest. Sae was tapping a finger, expecting an answer. Yu looked at his phone, and saw that, oddly enough, it was still at 98% power. It would definitely be lower if it was on for two hours.

"I turned it off, and only back on recently. I'm just now reading the texts." He said with as straight a face as he could muster. Sae snatched his phone and looked at the percentage. She shot a sideways look at Yu, then handed his phone back with a nod.

"And what's your excuse Akechi?"

"I had it on silent. I'm so sorry Sae-san." He said, hanging his head down.

Sae looked between the two teenage boys. Her intuition told her that they were lying, but the evidence backed what they were saying. She was about to open a new line of questioning, but stopped herself. She promised Yu she'd give him a chance, fair and square. So, for now, she'd assume they were telling the truth. Yu saw her face soften, and was about to offer his apologizes for worrying her and her sister, but Sae's eyes widened before he could say anything, and the infamous glare returned.

"So, the truth is that, you saw a complete stranger getting mugged and decided to interfere, despite being told numerous times by myself and others to not get into any trouble. You didn't give any thought to potential consequences or to let Makoto know anything. And worse, you dragged my subordinate into it. Is that correct? Or would you like to add something else?"

Yu flinched. He traded one trap for another.

"Y-yes, that's correct." Yu said numbly.

There was a loud, hard SMACK that would most likely be heard across all of Tokyo if it wasn't drowned out by the traffic and other noises. Yu felt his face sting as a red mark in the form of a woman's hand showed almost immediately. Yu rubbed it as he looked at his guardian sheepishly, and braced himself for what came next.

"I'm not happy young man. Not. Happy. Do you have any idea how worried Makoto was, or how badly that could have gone for you?"

"I… no, Sae-san."

"So, you didn't even think, you just saw something going wrong and decided to play the hero, consequences be damned, just like the very same situation that landed you in this mess?"

Yu said nothing, simply rubbing his arm.

"I thought not."

Sae looked at him for what felt like years, until she let out a sigh and her glare vanished.

"Look Narukami, I said I'd give you a chance, and I fully intend to honor my side of the agreement, but you have to work with me. If this is to work, you have to think things through. I won't kick you out, but you can't continue this kind of behavior. Just… just keep your head down, be an honest student, and don't act on impulses. Understood?"

"I understand." He muttered.

"I didn't hear you." Sae said, narrowing her eyes.

"I understand Sae-san." Yu said, louder.

Sae simply nodded, not having any sadistic smile or any other sign of glee.

"In that case, get in the car. We're going home."

"Wait. Can I talk with Akechi for a few minutes?" Yu asked.

"... Alright. You have five minutes." Sae said as she and Makoto walked and then entered the Cadillac. Yu turned to Akechi, who had recomposed himself.

"That… could have gone worse, if I'm being honest."

"Yea. You know the saying 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.'? Well, they should change it to 'Hell hath no fury like an angry Niijima'."

"That was not angry my friend. That was mildly irritated."

"Really?"

"Yes. If she was angry, she would snap your neck."

Yu just stood there and let all the color leave his face.

"Now, onto more important things. We have to talk about what we saw. We have to go back."

"Two brushes with death are enough for my life, thanks."

"So you're not the least bit curious? This Morgana-san seems to know everything there is to know about that place, and that strange power you have; Persona."

"Did you not hear a word of what Sae-san said? I can't get in trouble again."

"Then we'll have to be careful. Please, at least let me get some answers. After that, I'll drop this matter. Promise."

"... Fine. Tomorrow, after school."

"Excellent. Tomorrow has the volleyball rally, so school should let out early. Let's exchange contact information."

Yu and Akechi did so, and Akechi looked at Yu with a warm smile.

"And there we go. I look forward to working with you, Narukami-san."

Yu heard a voice in his head, but managed to keep the surprise from his face.

_I am thou, thou art I… _

_Thou has acquired a new vow _

_It shall become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth _

_With the birth of the _**_Justice_**_Arcana, _

_thou hast obtained the blessing that will grant thee new power _

"Narukami! Time's up!"

"I will see you tomorrow. Let's meet up here, yes?"

"Sure thing Akechi." Yu said, getting into the car and waving goodbye to his new friend as the car pulled away from the school. The sights of Tokyo seemed to blur together as they continued their silent trip to the apartment. The silence seemed to strangle the very air in Yu's lungs, and he felt a little bit like he did on that night. The teenager shook his head. Nothing could be as bad as what happened that night. Yu decided to talk, to try and alleviate the tension.

"Sae-san? Makoto-san?"

"Yes?" Both asked, not moving to face him in any way.

"I… I want to say that I'm sorry. For worrying you two, and for doing something so stupid."

The tension seemed to almost evaporate as Makoto replied.

"So long as you don't pull something like that again, apology accepted. I was really worried, and so was Sis."

"Really?" Yu asked, turning to his guardian.

"Of course. You are my ward, and I still have a debt to repay. You getting hurt is not an idea I like entertaining." Sae answered.

Yu softly smiled before Sae changed the subject.

"This incident aside, how was your first day at school?"

"Honestly? Not that great."

"How so?"

"His record was leaked. The whole student body knows." Makoto answered for him with a sigh.

Sae snarled as they reached a light and Yu swore she muttered 'damnit' under her breath.

"I'm sorry to hear that Narukami, and for making a bad day worse with that lecture. Despite this poor start, I hope you won't be discouraged."

"Don't worry Sae-san, I intend to make the most of this."

"Good, I'm happy to hear it."

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Once they arrived, he received a text from Akechi. Yu head to his room while Sae started a bath and Makoto went to work on preparing dinner. Once he was sure he wouldn't be disturbed, he opened his phone and read the text.

Akechi: Narukami-san, can you see this?

Yu: No.

Akechi: Ha ha ha, very funny. We will need to discuss that place. Shujin Nation.

Yu: I saw it, and I still don't believe it.

Akechi: Whatever it was, it was real, no matter how impossible it may seem. The bruise on your face, and my gun showing signs of being fired prove that.

Yu: Speaking of firing guns, how did you manage to reload without Sae noticing?

Akechi: I didn't. I don't know why the gun still has all its bullets. Just one of many questions to ask Morgana-san. What are Personas? What was that place? How, if at all, does it affect this world? What were Sakamoto-san, Takamaki-san, and Kawakami-sensei doing there?

Yu: And how did they get there in the first place?

Akechi: And so much more. For once, I'm actually excited about going to school.

Yu: Remember what I said. We go after school, and we go to get answers only. No unnecessary risks.

Akechi: Where's the fun in that?

Yu: You're not the one with their life hanging by a thread.

Akechi: I apologize. That was insensitive of me. What questions are you going to ask her?

Yu: What she means by 'Wild Card' and 'Trickster'.

Akechi: Also good questions. She showed a special interest in you.

Yu: Yea. Probably because of the fact that I have the same power as her.

Yu heard a knock on his door and hurriedly shoved his phone into his pocket.

"Yu-kun, it's time to eat!" Makoto called.

"Coming!" Yu answered.

Yu: Got to go. Dinner.

Akechi: Understood. See you tomorrow Narukami-san.

Yu entered the living room, the smell of a delicious dinner waiting for him. Sae had already started eating, and Yu found his place already set. Makoto was somehow studying and eating at the same time as Yu began to eat his share.

_ School's just started, and she's already started studying? _

As Yu ate his food, dinner was quiet. A bit too quiet.

"Sae-san?"

"Yes Narukami?"

"Are you still angry?"

Yu noticed some irritation in Sae's eyes flare up.

"A little. You have only been here three days, and you've already started getting in trouble. But don't dwell on it, and if you have to ask a question, make sure it's not a ridiculous one like that." Sae answered.

"I'm sorry. It's just, my dad made me have a strong sense of duty. And I really want to make him proud. I thought that… well… I could do the right thing and win." Yu said, repeating what he told his father, hoping that Sae would be more sympathetic.

"It's no wonder you and Akechi get along so well. He thinks that he can be a hero like in those comic books of his, that he's somehow special and destined to save the world." Sae said, ire starting to rise as she looked Yu straight in the face.

"I'll give you the same advice I gave Akechi. This isn't a video game, or a movie. This is real life. You aren't special. You can't save the world, you can only save yourself."

"Is that why you became a prosecutor? To save yourself?"

Makoto let out a gasp, but it was more out of fear than shock. Sae slammed her hand on the table, and Yu realized that he made a terrible mistake. Sae looked at him, and Yu understood why Akechi believed she was only mildly irritated before.

"Excuse me?!" She seethed.

"W-well, it's just that, prosecutors are supposed to make sure that criminals are locked away, so I thought that you'd share the same view of justice as I do. That you became a prosecutor to do the right thing." Yu said, shrinking back into his chair.

"Justice is subjective, and at times, circumstantial. And doing the right thing doesn't put food on the table, give you clothes, or get you and your younger sister out of homeless shelters! People are always grateful to have a hero, but that gratitude means nothing in the long run, and it certainly won't help when you are left to fend for yourself!" Sae yelled.

"I-I, I'm sorry. I didn't know." Yu hastily whimpered.

"No, you don't. I promised you I wouldn't judge you based on your record. You would be wise to not judge me because your father gave you my backstory."

Yu could do nothing but silently poke his food as Sae let out a deep breath and her face turned from a vicious snarl to sympathetic stare.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to explode at you like that."

Yu simply nodded, and Makoto took it upon herself to relieve the rising tension.

"S-sis, don't you have a kickboxing instruction this Sunday?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, it's just that, Yu-kun might run into those thugs again, and I think it would be best if he got some training. Especially if that training came from you.

"I don't think now's the best time."

"Now? No. Sunday, when you've both cooled off? It would be perfect. Yu-kun gets some training, you get to let off some steam, and you both can get to know each other better. What could go wrong?"

"What do you think Narukami? I've been told I'm very intense when I give kickboxing lessons, but Makoto raises valid points."

Yu put a hand to his chin. It was true, he could get to know Sae better, and he could benefit from kickboxing if Izanagi failed him. But on the other hand, he and Sae weren't on the best of terms, and this would be the perfect opportunity for her to take her frustrations out him. However, if he didn't get on better terms with his prison warden, then it could cause more problems later down the line.

_ Nothing ventured, nothing gained. _

"Alright. When and where?"

Sae shot him a look of surprise.

"Really? Are… are you sure?"

"I am."

"Well, in that case, 8 AM sharp on Sunday. Just ask Makoto to show you the way to SIU HQ, and ask for where the training dojo is."

Yu gave a single nod, and the three finished their respective meals without any more conversation. Once that was done with, Makoto and Yu finished the dishes and went to bed. Once he got changed into his PJs, he started to charge his phone and looked at the strange app.

_ I got in a lot of trouble because of you. Once tomorrow's over, I'm getting my phone replaced, and I'll never see you again. _

He laid down and closed his eyes with that thought in mind, a smile on his face.

* * *

A smile that vanished when he heard the sound of chains. Wide awake and bolting out of bed, he saw that he was in a jail cell with blue padding on the walls. He turned to the door and saw two women with platinum blonde hair and golden eyes staring back at him.

_ Oh no. _

"Welcome back inmate. On your feet." Caroline ordered. Yu numbly obeyed.

"Welcome. I am delighted to see you are well Trickster." Igor said, his grin just as wide and unnatural as before.

"Alright. This isn't a coincidence. Akechi was right, this has to be real." Yu realized, more calm this time.

"That's what we've been telling you since the start." Justine stated in a bored tone.

"You are correct Trickster, these events are very real. But in spite of how hard you tried to deny the truth, you've made great strides towards your rehabilitation."

"I- wait, what? How?"

"Not only have you awakened to your power and began to tap into your potential, but you've also already established your first Confidant."

"Confidant?"

Igor snapped his fingers and a strange tarot card materialized in front of Yu. It showed a sword and balance scales. The right side was blood red, while the left side was snow white, with the sword and scales black as tar. Yu flipped the card over and found…

"Akechi?"

"Correct. He is your Confidant of the Justice Arcana." Igor explained.

"A Confidant is someone who will aid you on your journey to complete your rehabilitation." Justine added.

"You'd be smart to make as many Confidants as possible, inmate! You'll need it." Caroline finished.

"And just how do I do that? How am I supposed to know who can be my Confidant?!"

"We are not deaf inmate." Justine stated.

"Not yet, anyway." Caroline added.

"I'm sorry, it's just frustrating, not having all the answers."

"The answers will come to you in due time Trickster. Your guide will explain everything you want to know about that place. If there's something she can't answer, then it's not meant to be something you're supposed to know." Igor informed.

"My guide? You mean Morgana? I saw that 'V' on her belt just like the one there." Yu said, pointing at the carpet.

"You are correct Trickster. She was created with the sole purpose of guiding you and other Tricksters through your rehabilitation."

"I see. Then I'll have to talk to her. I just need to get back into that place. Wait… are you the bastard that keeps on putting that damn app on my phone?!"

Caroline slammed her baton on the cell bars, the electricity startling Yu, but not hurting him. She gave him a stern look as he backed away.

"Do NOT talk to our master like that inmate! Final warning!"

"No, I am in fact, not, the one who bestowed the Metaverse Navigator on your mobile device. Whoever it was that did, you must find out yourself. Should you encounter other Tricksters, I'm sure they bestow it upon them as well."

The bell began to ring.

"Time marches on in the waking world. Farewell Trickster, and don't forget about your contract and the obligation that comes with it."

* * *

Yu woke up, but this time it was calm, no sweat, no sudden movements, it was like he had woken up for an average morning. He heard his alarm going off and got up and ready for the day. Makoto came to get him once breakfast was ready, both dressed for school. They ate in short order, and as they were washing the dishes, Yu got a message on his phone.

Akechi: Narukami-san, do you remember our arrangement?

"Who are you texting Yu-kun?" Makoto asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"Akechi. We exchanged contact info."

"What's he texting you about this early?" Makoto questioned, suspicion starting to grow.

"Oh, since the volleyball rally is today, he wanted to take me around the city and show me the sights, restaurants, you know, the usual."

"When does he want to do this?"

"Immediately after school."

Makoto let out a curse under her breath as she and Yu went out of the room and on their way to the train station.

"Really? How long do you think it'll take?" Makoto asked while they waited for their train.

"Maybe a few hours. Maybe more if I get lost."

"You sure you want to be exploring at a time like this? Especially since Sis _just _told you not to let anything like yesterday happen?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm not the kind of person who lets my curiosity go unfulfilled."

"Well, think you could at least wait about an hour? I'll have Student Council work to do, but I'd love to join you." Makoto offered as the the two boarded the train.

"Sorry, but no, Akechi said he'd rather get this done with so that he can get to helping Sae-san soon. Don't worry, we'll be sure to let you know when we're leaving."

"I sure hope so. If you pulled another stunt like that so soon, Sis would probably kick you out this time. And maybe fire Akechi-kun if he went along with you."

"Really?"

"Sis is very strict, in case you haven't noticed."

"Yea. But still, firing Akechi…. If what they told me is true, they're like Batman and Robin to the SIU."

"It's true that, without Akechi, Sis wouldn't have been able to win half of her cases. But she even after about two years of working with him, still has reservations about using a teenager for crime fighting."

"I see. A woman like that, I'm a little surprised she decided to take me in."

"It was to repay the debt that my family owes yours."

"I know, dad told me. It sounded like you two had it worse than me and Nanako did. I mean, when dad found out mom was dead… things got really bad. Dad would spend every spare yen on booze, so I had to take three part-time jobs to make up for it, then he would use cholone in order to cover the stench of booze. He'd purposefully avoid Nanako and remain absent from her life because she reminded him of mom. When his boss came to the house and said 'Dojima, if you don't pull yourself together, I'll have to ask you to turn in your badge.', I knew I had to do something. It wasn't easy, but eventually, I was able to get him to ditch the bottle and visit mom's grave. Now, he's a father again, and a good father at that."

"I'm glad to hear it. As for us, it was a struggle. Still is, actually. We were able to do it by sacrificing our social lives in exchange for grades that would get us scholarships. Selling most of our family heirlooms in exchange for a meager apartment where we had to take turns sleeping on the couch. It was an uphill war, and still is."

"Especially now that I'm here, causing you trouble."

"Yu-kun, you're not causing us trouble."

"That spat yesterday says otherwise."

"And you took the offer that could patch things up, and when you first got here, you asked if Sis knew anyone who was hiring for a job so you could help ease her burden. That sounds like someone who is dedicated to helping, not causing trouble."

"Yea. It's just… dad being a cop really ingrained my moral compass. A lot of what I do, I do to make him proud."

"I can relate. And, between you and me, I would have likely done the same thing yesterday in your position. So please don't feel bad about that."

Yu let out a smile. It seemed that he and Makoto were starting to understand each other. Once again, he heard a voice ring out in his head.

_I am thou, thou art I… _

_Thou hast acquired a new vow _

_It shall become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth _

_With the birth of the _**_Priestess_**_Arcana, _

_thou hast obtained the blessing that will grant thee new power _

The train's next stop was theirs, and the two shuffled off. The rest of the trip went without incident until they reached Shujin gates, where a man was greeting students that went by with the most fake enthusiasm ever. He had a bald head, a pointed nose, and his brown business suit and red bowtie barely concealed his highly muscular body. He turned to Makoto and Yu, and his false smile vanished completely.

"Ah, hello Niijima." The man said. There was no mistaking who this was.

"I take it you're Kobayakawa?" Yu asked.

"That's Kobayakawa-sensei to you, young man. And yes, I am. Whatever foul rumors Niijima here has spread, I can attest to this; they are false."

_ Somehow, I doubt it _

"Let's go Yu-kun." Makoto said, grabbing Yu's arm. When they tried to rush past Kobayakawa, the man put a firm hand on Yu's shoulder, stopping him, and in turn, Makoto.

"One moment Niijima. I would like to speak to our new student."

Makoto looked at Yu with a mix of terror and pity. She looked around and slowly nodded her head after seeing how many students were still around. Yu felt a shiver down his spine. If Kobayakawa remembered what happened in Shujin Nation, he was screwed.

"Just remember; he has to get to class soon." Makoto warned.

Once she was out of earshot, Kobayakawa turned to Yu, his grip getting stronger.

"I've been waiting for you young man. I hope you realize your situation."

Yu felt his blood run cold and his heart seemed to bang in his chest. What if Kobayakawa knew what happened? What if he was going to try again? What would he do to Akechi?

"Shujin is an excellent school with an amazing reputation."

_ This is definitely the same guy that socked me in that prison. Doesn't look like he remembers it though. _

"And I will do anything to uphold that reputation: So heed me when I say this, criminal."

Yu felt his anger rising at the last word.

"Do. Not. Do anything that could endanger the prestige of this fine school. If you do, there will be consequences."

For a moment, Yu was back in the prison, his resolve strengthening with each word. His eyes glared into Kobayakawa's, and though they were brown instead of yellow, they still held the same malice behind them.

"I'm sure Ryuji, Futaba, and Kawakami can tell me all about those consequences, right?"

Kobayakawa let out a chuckle, the kind one would give to someone who they knew were wrong. The coach turned away from Yu, scratching his chin with a smile.

"I'm not sure why those individuals came to mind, but I'll leave your imagination to think up what will happen to you." He said, knowing that he could taunt Yu with borderline confessing and that the teen could do nothing about it.

"I don't have to imagine. Thanks to you, I'm having a hard time finding people who will give me eye contact. The only ones who do are Makoto and Akechi."

"I heard you were associating with those rabble. I know Niijima can't be helped, but stay away from that fool Akechi. And on the topic of friends, I've heard that Takamaki is trying to get your attention. I know foreigners have low standards, but beggars can't be choosers."

Yu thought back to the prison. How hopeless and defeated Ann looked and sounded, her cries of pain as the whip assaulted her without mercy. He knew she was probably being ordered to befriend him, and that she didn't have a choice. Kobayakawa turned back to Yu, who had still been glaring at him.

"Don't give me that look. It's your fault you're a criminal."

Yu fought the urge to punch Kobayakawa. He knew from experience what would happen, and on top of that, they were in the real world. If Yu hit the coach here, he would no doubt get expelled, and that would be after he got another bruise. Not to mention, he would just prove all the rumor mongers right; that he was just a violent delinquent that needed to be put in his place. He continued to glare at Kobayakawa as the coach finally let go of his shoulder.

"Fine. Just don't try to fight me like Akechi and Niijima have. You don't want to be one of those brats that hates me for petty reasons."

Yu started to walk, and once he was out of arm's length, he turned back to Kobayakawa.

"Maybe if you weren't as disgusting and unwanted as a diarrhea explosion on a proposal date, you wouldn't have to worry about the whole damn school hating you."

Kobayakawa turned around, and almost ran after Yu as the student hurried into the building. He dared to look back and saw that Kobayakawa had stopped right outside the entrance, as if it was a magic barrier. He walked up the stairs, the rumors about him and his bruised face turning into white noise. He entered his homeroom and smiled about his little act of rebellion, the smile never leaving his face for the rest of class.

* * *

The volleyball rally had begun, and Yu found a nice little secluded corner after he and the rest of his class had changed into their PE clothes. It was boys vs girls, and as the two teams began to line up, Akechi approached, taking a seat beside him.

"You never answered my text Narukami-san. If you want to back out I-"

"I'm in. Makoto said she'll be busy for about an hour, so we have about that long to go to get answers. My main concern is finding Morgana. She said she had to take care of other business, and I'm worried about what could've happened. She could be dead or captured again for all we know."

"Morgana-san doesn't seem to be the kind of person to make the same mistake twice. Besides, I noticed that map on your phone had two arrows. Once Morgana-san joined us, a third one appeared; a blue one."

"Really? I didn't notice that."

Before Akechi could reply, a whistle blowed and the PE teacher turned to Yu.

"Narukami, you're up!"

Yu turned and got up, shooting Akechi an apologetic look. The match was 4-7, girls' favor. And as soon as the next match began, Yu wondered how the boys had managed to score at all. He managed to put up a good fight, better than the other boys, but the girls gave as good as they got.

One girl in particular was unstoppable. She had raven hair, like most girls, but she wore it a ponytail with a pink hairband, with deep eyes the color of chocolate. Her figure was well-defined, most likely someone who had been playing sports for a long time, as her PE uniform hugged her tightly. She was a one-woman sports team, blocking every spike Yu sent, rebounding every time the ball came to her, and every spike she gave, she gave with the force of a runaway train. Yu was able to stop each one, but it felt like he was trying to stop a bullet, and the burns were already starting to show. Yu looked at her and saw a fire in her eyes that only burned hotter with every attempt at scoring he stopped. Back and forth Yu and this pink hairband girl went, and soon it stopped looking like a game and more like a grudge match between the two. Yu thanked his kendo club training for being able to last this long, but knew he couldn't keep it up for much longer.

"Go Shiho! You can do it!" A voice yelled.

Yu looked and saw that it was Ann who yelled, the blonde jumping up and down like she was a cheerleader.

_ So this is her friend? Damn, wonder if she's giving me a hard time because I've been brushing her and Ann off? _

The distraction did its job; Yu didn't notice the girls had set up a spike for this Shiho. When he turned his attention back to the game, it was too late. The ball came at speeds Yu didn't know a it could reach and hit him square in the face, and everything went white and a ringing formed in his ears, like he had been hit with a flashbang. The impact was enough to make him skid across the floor and he swore his nose was broken.

_ Just my luck too. _

The cheering crowd died down and turned into a massive 'Oooooooo' followed by many saying variations of the word 'ouch'. As Yu tried to get up he heard a girls voice.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" She asked, helping him up.

"Pretty sure my nose is broken."

"I'm so sorry. Hey guys! I'm going to take him to the nurse's office. Keep the game going!" The girl ordered.

"Shiho-san, that's the criminal! Let me go with you!" One boy cried out.

"No Shiho-san, let me! I can carry the delinquent for you!" Another yelled.

"He'll hurt you once you're alone Shiho-san! I can protect you!" A final offered.

"GUYS! I'll be fine! I'm perfectly capable of helping someone to the nurse's office by myself. Just focus on the game, ok?" Shiho said, a little of the fire in her voice.

"But-"

"Enough! Suzui-san, please see to it that he's taken care of. The rest of you, back to the game! Now!" Ushimaru ordered.

The two made their way through the hallway, Yu finally able to stand and walk. Once his sight returned and focused, he saw Shiho in crystal clear detail for the first time. Her hair was silky smooth, her skin looked as soft as the clouds, and her eyes were a hazel brown that seemed to burn with passion during the game. She was beautiful, and Yu found himself entranced by her. She was rubbing her arm in guilt and the fire that burned so brightly before was completely snuffed out now. She turned around, and she looked like she was ready to cry right then and there.

"I'm so, so, so sorry. How are you feeling?" She asked, as she walked alongside Yu, who had taken some napkins to staunch the bleeding.

"Could be better."

"I'm sorry, it's just, when I play, I get so worked up. I often forget how powerful my arms can be when I cut loose."

"You were amazing out there." Yu complemented

Shiho looked at Yu with widened eyes and a slack jaw.

"Y-you're not mad? I-I broke your nose."

"Yea, but that aside that, you were grilling us. I've never seen a girl, or anyone for that matter, play like you do. It was spectacular."

Shiho blushed at the compliment, looking at the ground.

"Great, now I feel even worse for hurting you."

"About that, you seemed to have it out for me. Was it because I was brushing you and Ann off?"

"What? No, it's not that at all. In fact, when Ann told me that she might introduce me to someone, I was worried. So when you didn't show up, I was relieved."

"Why? Wanted Ann all to yourself?" Yu joked.

"What? No, of course not. It's just…" Shiho trailed off, rubbing her arm again.

"Yes?"

"Do you know who Kobayakawa is? Who am I kidding, you're friends with Akechi-senpai and Makoto-senpai, of course you know him."

"Yea, met him by the gates. Gave me the creeps."

"He has a deal with Ann. She stays his obedient little slut, and in exchange, he doesn't lay a finger on me." Shiho explained, the fire starting to relight.

"Slut? What do you mean?" Yu asked, eyes widening in shock at the implications.

"Whenever there's a boy that Kobayakawa needs to get under his thumb, he often sends Ann to get to know them. And almost every time, it ends with them dating."

"So rumors go around that she's willing to sleep with anyone." Yu finished.

"Exactly. Even though she hasn't needed to go that far. Yet." Shiho added the last word with some venom in her voice.

"And associating herself with me, the criminal, would sink her lower."

"Yes. It's nothing personal, I promise. I just… want Ann to be safe and happy."

"I understand completely. But that wasn't the reason why you went after me during the game, then what was?"

"Oh, right, sorry." Shiho said, her fire going out again.

"It's just that, I've been playing volleyball for so long and gotten so good that nothing's a challenge anymore. I barely put in half my effort at the best games. So, when you came out and actually forced me to pay attention, I… got excited." She admitted, rubbing her arm.

"So, I decided to test your mettle, so to speak, and when you gave as good as you got, I, um, kind of started to see you as my rival. Then, I actually put in my full effort and… broke your nose. Sorry about that." She apologized, again.

"Quit saying sorry."

"Sorr- um… ok."

Yu let himself chuckle. She was adorable.

"So, you saw me as my rival huh? I'm flattered. Maybe if it wasn't for those stupid rumors, I'd join the volleyball team just for a chance to repay the favor. Minus the broken nose."

Shiho let out a giggle as they stood outside the nurse's office.

"If it makes you feel better, I didn't think the rumors about you were true. And I certainly don't think so now."

"It does Suzui-san. More than you know." Yu said with a warm smile.

"Please, call me Shiho." She replied, giving an equally warm smile.

"Alright Shiho. Thanks for guiding me to the nurse's office."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I got to meet you. Even if the situation could've been better."

* * *

After a visit to the nurse's office, and a text informing Sae of what happened so she wouldn't freak out when he got home, Yu went to the gates and waited in the alley. He looked at his phone and saw that, sure enough, the app was still there. The 'Metaverse Navigator' Igor called it. But when he opened it up, he found that instead of three blank boxes, there was a bookmark. 'Kobayakawa, Shujin, Nation'. He was snapped out of his staring by Akechi's voice.

"Ah, there you are Narukami-san. I texted Makoto-san that we're heading out and won't be back for a few hours. Have you figured out how to get back to that place?"

"I think so. I opened the strange app and found a bookmark. I think if I activate this…"

Yu pushed the button, and the world around them began to vibrate and swirl, the colors and shapes becoming distorted as both Akechi and Yu felt their heads throb. The students closed their eyes, and when they opened them up again, they saw that it worked.

The alleyway had been replaced with a road that led to a sign that said 'Welcome to Shujin Nation! Obey President Kobayakawa and you'll enjoy your stay!". Beyond the sign were two hotels, an airport on a cliff, a beach, and other buildings that looked like they belonged in a resort. They made it back successfully.

"Now, we just have to find Morgana-san, and get our answers."

"Right."

Yu pulled out his phone, the clawed hand opening the app which transformed into a black screen and-

_ Wait what? _

Yu examined himself and found he was back in that strange outfit from before. A black long sleeved tangzhuang shirt with a silver outline and a golden chinese dragon imprinted on the right side of his shirt. On his hands were white gloves with golden claws attached. He also had loose-fitting black dress pants, and black dress shoes with golden scales covering them. Finally, on his face was a silver with a white outline masquerade mask with the Roman numeral "II" branded in gold at the center of his forehead.

"That's… that's the same outfit as before. I didn't see a flame engulf you this time."

"Yea. Guess that means I'm in complete control of my powers this time." Yu said, smirking as he admired himself again. He also felt weight on his back, and when he reached for it, he felt the handle of the katana that materialized after he first summoned Izanagi.

"Find Morgana-san now, admire your choice in attire later." Akechi said, crossing his arms.

Yu looked at his phone. Just like before, there were a red and yellow arrow, but now, there was a blue one, heading for the red and yellow one. At really high speeds too. Yu looked up as he heard the roar of an engine, like a hungry lion coming for its next meal. Shortly after, the Mona-mobile emerged from the trees and screeched to a halt like before with a cartoonish hunch. The front door opened up.

"Hey there guys. Didn't expect you two to come back so soon. What happened to your face Wild Card?" Morgana asked as she stepped out.


	10. Basic of Basics

"Hello Morgana-san. I'm glad to see you are well. As for Narukami-san, there was an… incident at school. Don't worry, he's perfectly fine."

"I'm glad to hear that. And it's good to see you too evil-eye. You guys must have a treasure trove of questions. Ask away, I'm all ears." She said, stretching.

"What is this place? How exactly is it that we can enter here?" Akechi asked first.

"For your first question, there are a few answers. This place that we're in, in general, is called the Metaverse, an alternate dimension formed by human cognition. It allows people who enter it to, in essence, see and alter the hearts and minds of other humans. This place we're in, specifically, is called a Palace, a spot in the Metaverse that has been altered by extremely powerful and distorted desires."

"Could you explain that last part further?"

"Well, since the Metaverse is a product of human cognition, it is capable of being altered by human cognition and desires. Those who have distorted desires that are strong enough to affect the Metaverse get a Palace. Palaces are how a person views a certain place in the real world. Every time, the Palace is something that it's equivalent in the waking world could never be. Case and point: This Kobayakawa sees this 'Shujin' place as his own private nation. He believes he's the ruler of Shujin, and that he's allowed to do whatever he feels is necessary to protect it."

"So, these Palaces are a product of human desires and how they see the world. They form because someone has twisted desires and a skewered world view. Kobayakawa wants to protect Shujin's reputation at any costs, and as a result, views Shujin as a nation." Akechi repeated thoughtfully, as if he was reviewing clues in a case.

"Bingo! And since Palaces form from one person, each one is unique in how it distorts the Metaverse."

"Alright, anything you want to ask Narukami-san?"

"Yea, I remember getting slugged by Kobayakawa, but he didn't seem to remember that when I met him at the gates this morning. Why is that?"

"Well, like I said, the Metaverse allows us to see and enter the hearts and minds of others. What we're moving through is his heart and subconscious mind. Chances are that he won't remember what happens here. Probably."

"What do you mean 'probably'? If Kobayakawa finds out I'm messing with his mind, I'm expelled for sure."

"Well, you know how I said that the Metaverse was affected by human cognition? Well, it's something of a two-way street, so what you do in the Palace can affect the waking world in a few ways. This Kobayakawa guy won't know what you're doing, but if you have a lot of interaction with him while you're in here, and keep saying your name, the real Kobayakawa will get on edge and on guard whenever you're around. He might not know why, but he will. That's why I didn't say your real names last time. He might not outright know what you're doing, but you will earn his attention and his ire, which could lead to further complications later."

"I see. Thank you for keeping our identities secret Morgana-san."

The woman beamed at the praise.

"You said that this Palace can affect the real world in a few ways. How?" Yu asked.

Morgana smirked and rubbed her hands together, like a mustache-twirling villain who just saw the hero fall into his trap.

"I'm soooooooo glad you asked that question Wild Card! As you know, Palaces form because of distorted desires. Those desires originated from somewhere, and that somewhere is in the Palace!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, at the heart of each Palace is something called a Treasure. The Treasure is the source of the distorted desires that caused the Palace to form. If the Treasure is removed from the Palace, we'll remove those desires from the Palace ruler's heart and cause the Palace to collapse!"

"What?"

"Since the Treasure is what caused the desires to manifest into a Palace, it only makes sense that removing it would remove the desires."

"What happens to the person in the real world if we steal this 'Treasure' and make the Palace collapse?" Akechi asked.

"Well, since taking the Treasure means taking the desire that formed the Palace, we'd be removing their desire in the real world too. This would cause the person to realize the full extent of what they've done since they don't want what they originally wanted. As a result, they'd feel guilt over their actions. In other words, we'd force them to have a change of heart, so to speak. After that, they'd most likely repent for their crimes and work to atone."

Both Yu and Akechi looked at each other before turning to Morgana.

"So, what you're saying is that, if we steal the Treasure in Kobayakawa's Palace, we'll make him confess his crimes and seek atonement?"

"Yup!"

"You're sure? You are 100 percent sure?"

"Yes!" Morgana affirmed, starting to grow irritated.

Akechi looked at Yu then back at Morgana for a moment before smiling.

"YES! YES YES YES! AT LAST, MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!" Akechi yelled, jumping for joy with every word.

"WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU DOWN KOBAYAKAWA! DO YOU HEAR ME?! YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED!"

"Calm down Akechi. He actually will hear you if you keep yelling like that." Yu said, exasperated.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't contain my excitement. It almost seems too good to be true."

"Well…." Morgana started.

"Damnit!"

"Because of the nature of the Treasure, it's going to be in the most heavily guarded place in the Palace. If we want to reach it, we'll have to infiltrate the Palace, and that means we'll have to fight."

"Those police guards? You called them Shadows yes?" Akechi asked.

"Correct. Formed from repressed human emotions and vices, Shadows are the sworn enemies of us Tricksters. There are a few ways to fight them, but the easiest and most effective one is, without a doubt, using our Personas."

"Like Izanagi." Yu pointed out.

"And Lady Trieu! Exactly! And before you ask, Personas are, in a nutshell, your inner self. They are your personality, traits, qualities, both good and bad, all mixed together and given form, and that form is based always on a figure in history or mythology whose personality and history is the most similar to you. Because of that fact, they are separate entities from ourselves, like if your heart or brain had its own personality. Every person save for Wild Cards can only have one Persona."

"A Wild Card?" Yu inquired.

"Yup! Wild Cards are the rare Persona users who have enough mental flexibility, fortitude and adaptability to hold more than one Persona. As a result, they are the best of the best Tricksters."

"Sounds like you're quite impressive Narukami-san."

"Legends and reality are very different things. Besides, those apply to previous Wild Cards, if we're believing everything Morgana says, and I haven't done anything." Yu replied.

"Yet. You haven't done anything yet. If we want to steal the Treasure, we'll have to infiltrate the Palace. If we're going to pull off a successful infiltration, we'll need information. Hence why I had to leave early last time. Which brings me to the second half of Palaces: Cognition."

Before either could ask what she meant, she snapped her fingers and the middle door to the Mona-mobile opened to reveal Makoto and… Akechi. Both of them were dressed in camouflage for the jungle, and their clothing was rather… sparse. For Makoto, she wore booty shorts with suspenders connected to a tube top, while all Akechi wore was pants with an army pattern. Both had belts on top of belts of ammo, a heavy machine gun, a bandana and face paint in the form of two stripes on their cheeks.

"Um… who are these people, and why do they look like Makoto-san and I?"

"Well, you see, Palaces may be formed by distorted desires, but they are affected by cognition, how the Palace ruler sees the outside world. Since Kobayakawa sees Shujin as his nation, and since evil-eye and his sister oppose him-"

"Makoto-san and I are not siblings."

"-He naturally sees them as any dictator would; rebels. And are you really? You both have red eyes."

"No, they aren't. Trust me." Yu said.

"Correct. And not all rebels are shirtless." Akechi pointed out, looking at his counterpart.

"Hey, I'm not complaining." Yu said as he stared at Makoto's half naked body, earning a jab to the gut from Akechi.

"But that doesn't explain how there's two of me."

"I'm getting there. Since this Kobayakawa sees evil-eye and lady evil-eye as rebels, they appear in his Palace as how the real Kobayakawa thinks rebels look like."

"What about the ones in the prison? I saw Ann, Ryuji, Futaba and Kawakami-sensei working in a quarry. They were dressed like prisoners and Ann got whipped. Several times."

"Then that's how he sees those people: Prisoners that he is free to abuse. These things, the rebel evil-eye and lady evil-eye and those prisoners, those are called cognitions. They're how the Palace ruler views people, but they aren't real. Think of them as very life-like dolls."

"So, if we came to him one day and submitted to him, what would happen to these rebels?" Yu asked

"I highly advise against such a thing civilian. Servitude under Kobayakawa is a fate worse than death. You should instead join us rebels and help us sow chaos and destruction across the Nation!" Cognitive Makoto suggested.

"Yes. Our primary goal is to plant the seeds of unrest across Shujin Nation, because we were not good enough to make the cut for the villainous Kobayakawa's standards! Bah! But it matters not! We will deliver glorious justice for all to see!" Cognitive Akechi declared, striking a dramatic pose.

"He nailed your theatrics." Yu pointed out.

"Shut up." Akechi ordered, getting a grin from Yu in response.

"I'm guessing these cognitive versions of you and Makoto would turn into those prisoners we saw before." Yu said.

"I agree. So, what happens in the real world would have a chance to affect the Palace?"

"That's correct. Like, if there was door in here that couldn't be opened, it would be because he thinks there's a door in the real world that only he could open. BUT! If he saw evil-eye or the Wild Card open that door, then the door in his Palace would open up because of the change in Cognition." Morgana explained.

"I see. That makes sense."

"If this world is affected by cognition, does that mean Kobayakawa sees himself as a dictator?" Yu asked.

"That's a different story actually. Since we're traversing a mix of his soul and subconscious, he doesn't have any active control over it. If he did, he would be able to make sure we never escaped to begin with. What you saw before was his own personal Shadow."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, remember how I said Shadows were repressed human emotions and vices? Well, everyone has one specific Shadow. That's their true self, the part of them that they don't want to admit exists, and thus, they hide it away."

"I can believe it. He talked to us the same way the real Kobayakawa does to me whenever we're alone. But if everyone has a Shadow, does that mean Narukami-san and I do as well?"

"Yes… and no. For the Wild Card's case, no. Once you become completely aware and accepting of your true self, that strength forges your heart and soul into your Persona."

"Except I didn't face myself." Yu pointed out.

"I was getting there. There are many ways to obtain a Persona. Facing your true self and accepting all the ugly in you is without a doubt the most dangerous, but surefire way to get one. Another way is situational; if the proper conditions are met, and if the person is put in a stressful situation, like if their life is on the line, then a Persona can be forced to take form, bypassing the need to accept your inner self completely until the day you die. The first awakenings are traumatic and the person will most likely pass out once the danger is over, but the Persona materializes permanently from then on and will come if the situation is replicated. The middle ground is how Wild Card here summoned his Persona: Willpower. If your desire and need is great enough, then you can form a contract with your inner self. In exchange for obtaining the power of Persona, you must agree to never lose sight of yourself or compromise your beliefs. And finally, for guides such as myself, we are given our Personas and thus, don't have to use any methods humans do."

"Is that all of the methods?"

"All that I know of. I wouldn't be surprised if there were other ways to call a Persona, but there is one constant; you have to have the potential to have a Persona. Not everyone has the strength needed to obtain one by any methods."

"I see."

"Any other questions?"

"Yes. How do you know all this?" Akechi asked.

"She's our guide. She was created by a man named Igor to help me complete my 'rehabilitation'. I've met him in my dreams." Yu answered.

"What?"

"Let me explain. You know how I thought that the app was giving me LSD trips, and how I thought one of those trips was me in a prison? Well, turns out that it's real. Or am I mistaken?" Yu asked, turning to the woman.

"Nope! I'm surprised you figured it out, since I didn't mention Master Igor, his assistants, or the Velvet Room."

"You have a 'V' imprinted on your belt."

"Oh yeah… hehe." Morgana laughed to hide her embarrassment.

"Wait, wait just a moment. Who exactly is this Igor? What does he want?"

"He's a long-nosed gremlin that only wants to help!" Morgana answered gleefully.

"Or so he claims. He says he's here to help, but so far all he's offered is talk." Yu countered.

"Really? So he hasn't done anything?" Akechi asked.

"No, nothing."

"I see. Please let me know if that changes."

"Yea, yea. Sure." Yu rubbing the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

"Are you alright Narukami-san?"

"It's just… this is a lot to process Akechi. We just found out that there's a separate dimension that can let us force Kobayakawa and other people to have personality changes, and that place is plagued by humanity's inner demons, and the only way to fight those demons is with our souls. You'll have to forgive me for not taking all this in stride. Especially since this has happened so quickly. I need a few moments."

_Not to mention there's the contract that said ruin draws near, and that only Tricksters can fight it. And according to Morgana, I'm supposed to be the best of the best. No pressure, right?_

"I understand Narukami-san. This is a lot to process for me too."

"Once you guys are done, I have a question I want to ask you." Morgana said, her expression turning serious.

"What question is that?" Yu asked.

"Are you in?"

A moment of silence passed as Akechi and Yu looked at each other in confusion. Morgana decided to clarify what she meant.

"I've told you everything I know, and now you need to decide what you're going to do with it. You have two choices; use what I've told you to make a difference, or walk away and forget everything. So, I'll ask again; Are. You. In?"

"So you're asking us if we are going to steal Kobayakawa's desires?"

"It'd be more accurate to say we'd steal his heart, but yea."

"If doing so will bring him down, then yes. What about you Narukami-san?"

Yu was still thinking. True, he had no reason to back out, or protect Kobayakawa. But if he went through with this, he would have to shoulder the burden of fighting a war for who knows how long. What if he died? What if Sae found out? What if they took on more members and one of them betrayed him? There were so many ways this could go wrong. He heard his dad's voice.

"_If you get in any trouble, your life will be over."_

Then he thought back to when he first called Izanagi. He remembered what he told his inner self. That his actions that night were not a mistake. That he would do it all over again. He was just a defenseless teenager then. Just a boy who didn't know what he was getting into, and had no way to fight the rigged system that was set on ruining his life. But that was then. He's not a defenseless teenager now. Kobayakawa ruined so many lives, and would no doubt ruin more if he was left alone, and now, Yu had the power to do something about it, and if he did it right, he would get away with it. With that thought in mind, he decided to take action, consequences be damned. He would pass judgment on this monster, since no one else could be bothered.

"When do we start?" He asked, small sparks flashing in the eyes behind the mask.

"Alright! Expected nothing less from the Wild Card."

"If we're going to do this, we'll need better nicknames." Yu stated flatly.

"Well, they're more like codenames, since I won't use them if I go to the waking world."

"Regardless, I'm not going to be called 'Wild Card' the whole way through."

"Alright, then you'll be called 'Joker'!"

"I'd rather not follow someone who's named after a comic book villain." Akechi said.

"Really? That's what bugs you? It sounds plain stupid to me." Yu replied.

"But it fits so well! In a deck, the Joker is often the wild card, a game changer!" Morgana countered.

"No."

"Awwwww, fine. Then what do you want to be called then?"

"Hmm. How about… Seeker?"

"Seeker? You serious?" Morgana asked, unimpressed.

"I like it." Akechi stated, nodding in approval.

"Two out of three, majority rules." Yu confirmed.

"Fine!"

"What about you Morgana-san? Have you thought of a codename?" Akechi asked.

"Of course! The name I chose for myself is… drum roll please… Carmen!"

"Carmen? As in the dancer?" Akechi asked.

"Yup, a femme fatale!"

"I approve." Akechi said.

"Works for me." Yu added with a nod.

"Sweet! As for the other one, I think that we should stick to evil-eye. After all, you won't be able to accompany us the whole way. You don't have a Persona." Morgana suggested, looking at Akechi, who shot a look of disapproval.

"What makes you think I don't have the potential for one?"

"Because the way you guys got here, an app I think you call it, has a range of about 10 feet, so you could drag in anyone."

"So, if we activated it in a crowd, we'd bring dozens of people in the Metaverse?"

"Yea, so I wouldn't risk it. Plus you never know who has the potential to awaken to a Persona. And not all Persona users are Tricksters."

"How do you mean?" Yu asked.

"Well, there are some people who awaken to a Persona, and decide to use it for their own personal gain. Those kind of Persona users are called 'Champions of Ruin'. They are extremely rare, and extremely dangerous, because they know how sick, twisted and all around nasty they are, and accept it without trying to change. As a result, they hold nothing back, Persona power or otherwise. In fact, if we encountered a Champion of Ruin right now, I have no doubt that they'd kill us all within a minute."

Both of the boys looked at each other with a mix of fear and concern.

"Right, let's get back to the objective at hand. How exactly will we go about infiltrating this Palace?" Akechi asked after shaking his head.

"I'm glad you asked evil-eye. And it was for that express reason that I brought the cognitive versions of yourself and your not-sister!"

"Why? Do they know how to infiltrate this Palace?"

"They should. But we got lucky with this first one. The other Palace's won't have a guide for us to follow, so we'll have to figure it out as we go for future infiltrations. But right now, we'll take any advantage we can."

The three looked at the cognitive rebels, and Akechi was the first to speak up.

"Excuse me, do you know where the Treasure is?"

"I don't know what this 'treasure' you speak of is. Unless you are referring to where President Kobayakawa keeps his ill-gotten fortunes, then yes, I do."

"No, we're not- were you listening at all to our conversation?'

"Unless it is related to the downfall of the villainous President Kobayakawa, or the collapse of the corrupt Shujin Nation, then I am not interested."

"I have other things on my mind besides defeating you, Kobayakawa." Akechi muttered to himself. Before he could try again, Yu put his hand on Akechi's shoulder.

"Let me give it a try." He mouthed, and Akechi stepped aside.

"Where's the most heavily guarded spot in Shujin Nation?" Yu asked and Akechi facepalmed for not thinking of that earlier.

"Ah. That would have to be, without a doubt, President Kobayakawa's private residence. It's a small mansion off the coast, on an island. Getting there will not be easy."

"Nothing worth doing ever is."

"True enough. If you want to get to the island that houses the disgusting glutton, you will need to board his private jet and get past his island's defenses. To do this, you will need two access codes: One to make sure you aren't shot down leaving the resort, and one to make sure you land without being fired on."

"Wait, what? Why are two codes needed?"

"A righteous conspirator named Mishima and I once tried to force our way onto the island of villainy by holding the pilots at gunpoint. We managed to arrive, but sadly, Mishima was not prepared for what awaited us, and paid the price for it. Since then, any guest that wishes to see that slug Kobayakawa is given the codes, not the plane pilots."

The real Akechi hung his head low at the mention of Mishima.

"And where can we find these codes?"

The cognitive Akechi pointed two fingers to the hotels.

"At the top floor of each hotel lies a lap-dog marshal. They are supposed to give whatever the current codes are to any guest that visits Kobayakawa. If you manage to obtain them, you will be able to fly to Kobayakawa's island. But it will not be easy once you get there."

"How do you mean?"

"His mansion is full of security, but it isn't the corrupt police. His private military soldiers prowl the halls. The only way you're getting through that untouched is if you have the disgusting President himself guiding you through."

"And that sure isn't an option." Yu muttered.

"Exactly. Underneath the island is a bunker housing the vile General Morooka."

"That's a new name."

"Kinshiro Morooka is Kobayakawa's best friend, one that helped collaborate his alibis and is the sole reason why so many testimonies against the coach failed to hold up in court." The real Akechi explained.

"Yes. General Morooka has fought against our righteous cause for a long time. As a result, he was entrusted with a copy of the key to Kobayakawa's foul inner sanctum in his mansion. In there lie his deepest, darkest secrets."

"Sounds like that's where the Treasure would be. Anything else that we should know?" Yu asked.

Cognitive Akechi pulled out two maps, one of both hotels, and one of the private island. After Yu shot a glance at them, he heard a _PING_ come from his phone. Pulling the device out, he saw that there was no longer a black screen, but instead the map he saw in cognitive Akechi's hand. After giving a nod, he returned the maps and looked at Morgana.

"If there's nothing else, then let's get to it." Yu ordered.

"Alright. Oh, and by the way, you're going to be our leader." Morgana said as she started up the Mona-mobile.

"Wait what? Why me?" Yu asked as he climbed in.

"That should be obvious Seeker. You have the unique talents of a Wild Card." Morgana answered.

"That means I have an ability. It doesn't mean that I should be deciding who should be in the front lines and such."

"I agree with Morgana-san. Wild Cards are supposed to be talented in many areas, if what she says is true, leadership is probably one of those areas." Akechi said as he got in and closed the door.

"Yea, except we have no idea if those apply to me. So how about no?"

"Two out of three, majority rules!" Morgana stated as they began their drive to Shujin Nation, leaving the cognitive rebels behind.


	11. Getting Experience

Yu had tried, desperately, to worm his way out of leadership role, but every argument was swiftly countered by a solid counterargument. Before he could think of another excuse, he saw them approaching the first hotel. He breathed a sigh of resignation.

"Oh, fine. I'll be the damn leader. Get us in that alleyway. We can't risk them recognizing Akec- ahem- evil-eye." Yu said, with a smile at the last part.

"Doesn't the Mona-mobile have a tether of some sort? Can't we use that to climb up the hotel?" Akechi asked.

"It was a harpoon. It's designed to attach to pierce flat surfaces and pull things to us or tear off things like walls. It won't work."

"Then we'll have to work our way up. Let's go." Yu said, opening his door and getting out. As they were currently in an alleyway, there weren't any windows for them to climb into, but there was a vent. Pulling the grating off, Yu climbed in, Morgana and Akechi following close behind.

For a while, it seemed like they were going nowhere, and it was starting to cramp up their legs. Yu, however didn't notice. Instead of soreness, he was feeling alive, excited, and most of all, free. Just like the first time he summoned Izanagi, he felt a rush as he crawled through the vent, a rush that only intensified as he thought about what he was doing, and he smiled as he could imagine how it would look when he was finished. As he turned the corner, he saw a light, and it was coming from the bottom.

"Looks like this the end of the line for crawling in the vents. The only way left is down." Yu said, trying to readjust himself so that he'd land feet-first.

"Finally! I was worried it went on forever." Morgana complained.

"If the directions are any indication, I'd guess we'll pop out below the main floor." Akechi informed them as Yu got his feet out in front of him.

With a single movement, Yu went over the ledge and fell, his weight breaking through the grating, but the fall itself wasn't enough to hurt him. Getting out of the way, Morgana and Akechi landed, the woman stretching afterwards. It appeared they were in a storage area of the basement, with several crates and racks scattered about. They then heard footsteps.

"Disturbance in the basement, going to investigate." Came the distorted voice of a Shadow.

"Quick, hide!" Yu ordered, quickly taking cover behind a storage rack, Akechi and Morgana following his command and hiding right behind him.

"Psst. Seeker, there's something you should know." Morgana whispered to him.

"What?"

The footsteps got louder as the guard made his way to the voices.

"You see that riot mask he has? If you tear it off, it'll disrupt the Palace ruler's control over the Shadows. It'll disorientate the shadow and force it to reveal its true form. The few moments it needs to reorient itself should be a big enough opening for us to get a few good hits in. Give it a try." Morgana informed, Yu nodding shortly after.

The Shadow was dangerously close now. Remembering all those action movies he's watched over the years, Yu jumped right in front of the Shadow, and gave a second jump, landing on top of the Shadow's shoulders. His clawed hand reached for the mask and pulled with all his strength. The mask came off easily, and Yu pushed with both of his legs. The Shadow twisted and convulsed, and just like before, transformed into a black puddle that soon reformed itself, this time into two women with red dresses floating in the air.

As Morgana said, they appeared to be in a state of confusion, giving Yu the chance to strike. Summoning Izanagi, a bolt of lightning struck one of the women, and Morgana called Lady Trieu, who summoned a green vortex that finished the job. The other one quickly recovered, and extended her palms, as if she was giving a gift. And that gift was a few chunks of ice that hurled themselves at Yu. All of them hit him, and while he felt hurt, he could also feel Izanagi protecting him from the bulk of the damage. Morgana charged, slashing upwards with her scimitar, and before the Shadow could recover, fired a ball from her slingshot that hit square in the chest, going straight through. It was then that Akechi decided to enter the battle, pulling out his pistol and firing rapidly into the woman's body, using all the bullets in the clip, and the woman's body slumped down as a result. Yu summoned Izanagi to finish her.

"W-wait! Please!" The woman cried, hovering over to the group.

"Hold on Seeker. Let's hear her out." Morgana suggested.

"What do you want?" Yu asked, holding out his sword.

"If I'm going to die, I want to know, what was I to you?" She asked in return.

"Ummm… no one really." Yu answered, both confused and not prepared to think of a better answer.

"I suppose that makes sense. I don't leave a good impression."

"Ummm…. Ok?"

"Do you think there might be someone out there who doesn't think of me as a no one?"

Yu rolled his eyes. He didn't have time for this.

"I don't care."

"Yea, I don't suppose I would in your position t- WAIT! I remember!" She yelled suddenly, floating with renewed life.

"I am thou, thou art I. From the Sea of Souls I cometh. I am Silky, and I will aid thou on thy quest." The woman, now known as Silky, declared, before turning into a mask exactly like Yu's and flying right to his face, merging with the one he had on. Both he and Akechi looked at Morgana expectantly.

"Congrats on getting your first new Persona Seeker." Morgana congratulated with a smile.

"Will all Shadows be potential Personas?"

"Sadly, no. Some will be untameable beasts that need to be killed."

"I'll keep that in mind as we keep going. By the way evil-eye…"

"Yes Seeker?"

"Those were some great shots before."

"Thank you. My firing instructor told me I'd make a great assassin in another life." Akechi joked.

"Still have any bullets?"

"Oh, that's right. I forgot about that." Akechi admitted, pulling out his weapon and then the ammo clip. Sure enough, all of the bullets were still there.

"Wait, you brought in a real weapon? I thought it was a model."

"Why would it fire if it was a model?"

"Because this world is affected by cognition. If it looks real in this world, then it is."

"I see. So if I take out the clip, then it would still fire?"

"I think so. It would explain why you didn't use any last time. But how come Morgana's slingshot does just as much damage?" Yu wondered, walking up the stairs out of the basement.

"Because it's been augmented by the magics of the Velvet Room. Now, let's focus on the task at hand please!" Morgana borderline demanded.

They came up at a hall and walked to the end of it, Yu using his phone's map as their guide. When they reached the end, they found themselves at the back of the lobby of the hotel. They saw a few Shadow's roaming around in patrol routes, and there were two flights of stairs that connected to a balcony directly above them, as if they were in a mansion. On the other side of the room was another hallway, one that led to the gym and pool, according to the map. Most hotels had elevators, and they would use that to reach the top. Skillfully avoiding the Shadows, the trio walked down the hall, looking for the elevator, only to find that there was no such thing. The only way up was another set of stairs, and they began on the balcony.

_Who designed this?_

Managing to sneak their way past the Shadows by memorizing their movement routes, the three climbed up the balcony. As they approached the end of the hall to the stairs, they saw a Shadow standing guard, one that didn't seem to notice them yet.

"There's no way we'll be able to ambush this one."

"That's ok. If you can manage to hit them, it'll force them to reveal their true form. They won't be disoriented, but we'll still have a chance to strike."

Yu nodded his head, and pulled out his katana, rushing forward.

"What the hell?! Intru-"

Yu slashed his sword across the Shadow's chest before it could alert the others. This time, it's black puddle reformed into two male demons. Yu decided to give his new Persona a try. Reaching for his mask, he decided to summon her the same way he summoned Izanagi.

"Silky!" Yu called, and the woman appeared behind him as he tore off his mask. Another word of power made its way into his mind.

"Bufu!" Yu yelled, and Silky obeyed, shooting ice blocks at one of the demons, knocking it down. But just like Morgana said, the other demon was ready, and with a snap of his fingers, fireballs appeared and exploded all around Yu, and this time, the force was great enough to knock him down.

"Damnit! That Persona must be weak to fire!" Morgana yelled, summoning Lady Trieu.

"Show them your power!" Morgana ordered, and the attack she launched at the male demon held more power than usual, knocking him down. Yu forced himself up, Akechi pointing his gun from afar while Morgana jumped over them, surrounding the two demons.

"Say goodbye." Akechi said, ready for the kill.

"Wait a moment evil-eye. It's in our best interest to have as diverse an arsenal as possible. Try to negotiate with them." Morgana advised.

"Alright Carmen. Lend me your power, demon." Yu said to the Shadow.

"Who the hell do ya think ya are, bargin' in like this?" He demanded.

"I'm the guy who kicked your ass."

"How? How did ya win? What do ya have that I don't?!"

"A social life."

"…. Heh. Ya got spunk kid. Kinda like m-WAIT! I remember!"

The demon flew upwards, the second one vanishing into thin air.

"I am thou, thou art I. From the Sea of Souls I cometh. I am Incubus, and I will aid thou on thy quest." He said, the process from Silky repeating itself and soon, a new mask merged with Yu's. He motioned for the team to form up, and turned around, expecting the other Shadows to show up because of the commotion, but to his surprise, no one did.

"Shadow's only show up if they see an intruder. Unless the Palace is on high alert, like when you guys first came here." Morgana said, as if reading his mind.

"Alright. In that case let's head up. This hotel has what, five floors?"

"Four Seeker. And we're on the first." Akechi informed.

"Alright. After we beat the marshal, we can head over to the other hotel and repeat the process. Follow me." Yu ordered as he went through the doors.

"And he thought he wasn't cut out to be leader." Morgana said to Akechi as they followed. They climbed up the stairs, but soon ran into a problem. There were only three floors these stairs went up to.

"Hold on, let me check my… oh you've got to be kidding."

"What's wrong Seeker? Was evil-eye wrong?" Morgana asked.

"No. There's another separate set of stairs that go only from the third to the fourth floor, and that set is on the other side of the building. And there's a lock icon on this door on the map, so I'm assuming it won't open. At least on this side."

To confirm his theory, Yu gave a quick push and pull to the door, but it didn't move an inch.

"Then that means we'll have to explore the second floor." Akechi reasoned, and Yu nodded in response. The trio went to the second floor and went through the hallway. For some reason, there was a door unlocked and open at the very end, and Yu decided to take a peek. There was a single Shadow in the room, walking back and forth between an open window and the door. The room inside looked like a standard hotel room, which meant that there was plenty of room to maneuver around the Shadow if he wanted to avoid fighting. And he really wanted to avoid fighting, given how little space there was. Timing his movements carefully, Yu and the other two were able to completely avoid the Shadow, or at least until they neared the window.

"STOP REBELS!" The Shadow yelled, pulling out a baton and swinging it at the closest member, Akechi, and landing a direct hit, the impact slamming the detective into his teammates. As they recovered, the Shadow dissolved, and this time, rather than take on any kind of creatures with human features, like a body, the tar spread out so it surrounded the three and reformed into blobs that only had a pink mask standing out.

"These are what I was talking about, the ones that aren't Personas." Morgana explained, getting up.

The three masks were relentless in their assault, pressing their advantage as one attacked Akechi with fireballs, and the detective didn't have a Persona to protect him from the flames. The second one attacked Yu, but this time, he was able to not just repel it, but absorb it, thanks to his newly acquired Incubus. This opening allowed him to get up and call on Izanagi, the god cleaving the blob with his blade, destroying it. The third managed to hit Morgana, while Akechi's attacker turned to Yu. The teenager avoided the fireballs that were hurled at him, and the other blob turned to aid its kin. Yu pulled out his katana and ordered Izanagi to hit Morgana's attacker while he went after Akechi's. Izanagi summoned a lightning strike to charge his naginata and hit the blob of tar straight in the center of it's form, causing it to evaporate completely. Yu charged the last Shadow, which was desperately trying to hit him with it's fire. But it was too little, too late, Yu dodged the last fireball and spun around, the momentum allowing his sword to cut clean through the mask, the rest of the body disintegrating shortly afterwards. He turned to his comrades.

"You ok evil-eye?" Morgana asked.

Yu looked over to the ace detective, who was struggling to stand, even with the support of the furniture. Black scorch marks dotted his pea coat, and bruises formed on his face, and blood leaked from his nose. His lips were swollen, and from the way he held his gut, Yu guessed that he might have a broken rib.

"N-no, Carmen. You were right. Without a Persona, I am useless." Akechi admitted.

"Don't say that. You've come in handy so far. Don't worry, Lady Trieu knows a healing spell. Let me patch us up, that battle was rough."

Lady Tieu appeared behind Morgana, and raised her sword. After that, the three felt a warm feeling boiling up inside them, like they just drank hot chocolate immediately after coming in from a blizzard. Yu felt the lingering aches from previous battles start to subside, while Akechi looked like he never got into a fight. Even his clothes showed no damage.

"Carmen, you ok?" Yu asked, noticing his female friend started breathing heavily.

"I'm… fine, thank you Seeker. Surely you noticed it too by now right? How each time you use a Persona, you feel just a little bit more tired."

"Now that you mention it, yea. Each time I order Izanagi to do something, I feel like closing my eyes for a few seconds."

"Personas derive their power from our mental state, so the more we use them, the less we'll be able to concentrate. Eventually, it'll get to the point where we'll be lucky to summon Personas at all."

"So we won't be able to completely infiltrate a Palace in one go. A shame, I wanted to rampage through Shujin Nation and sow chaos to my heart's content." Akechi declared.

"Wait, what?" Akechi asked after realizing what he just said.

"Oh dear. I was afraid of this." Morgana said, casting her eyes down and rubbing her arm.

"Afraid of what? What didn't you tell us Carmen?" Yu demanded.

"Well, you know those clothes Seeker wears? They aren't just for show. They protect him from the distorted desires of the Palace ruler. Since you aren't wearing them, you'll slowly turn into how the Palace viewer sees you. In this case, the fanatic rebel who won't stop until Kobayakawa is overthrown."

"Can it be reversed?" Akechi asked.

"Yes. All we need to do is return to the waking world. But we need to hurry."

"Yes, it appears we're at an impasse. There has to be something in here that can help us. Why else would there be a Shadow in here?" Akechi reasoned.

"I don't think it was here to guard this room. Just keep us out." Yu countered, walking over to the open window.

Looking around outside, he saw that they were rather high up, but there was a ledge he could shimmy along, a ledge that went all the way to a water drainage pipe. Looking up, he saw the pipe lead to another open window. On the third floor.

"Alright you two, I found our ticket up to the third floor. Follow me." Yu ordered, getting out of the window and onto the ledge. As the other two joined him, he heard Akechi speak.

"That was excellent fighting back there Seeker."

"Told you, a Wild Card is the best of the best, whether they know it or not."

Yu rolled his eyes as he climbed up the pipe, but he also smiled too. Maybe they were right. Maybe he really was cut out for this. Before he entered, he peeked through the window to see if there were any Shadows. Finding none, he pulled himself in, helping Akechi and Morgana up. Walking out, Yu made sure to unlock the door that led to the lower floors before continuing up. But something caught his eye as they walked down the hall.

"Is this door shimmering?" Yu asked.

The door was in fact shimmering, like it was a pond of water that someone threw a stone into. Morgana grinned.

"Ah, I was wondering when we'd run into this." She said, opening the door and walking in. When the two boys followed, they found that the room they stepped into shifted. One moment, they were in another hotel room, the next, they were in a classroom, and then back in a hotel room. The two teenagers looked at Morgana for an explanation.

"This place is called a Safe Room. It's a spot in the Palace where distortion is weak, and as a result, so is the Palace ruler's control. Shadows won't come in here, so we can use these to take a break whenever we want."

"That sounds like it'll be useful." Yu said, looking at his phone, only to find that the map was gone. In its place were two blocks of text; South Hotel Room, and Palace Entrance.

"Hmmm."

"What is it Seeker?" Morgana asked.

"Can these Safe Rooms be used to teleport us across the Palace?"

"Oh yea! Knew I was forgetting something. Yes, once we reach a new Safe Room, we can use that to teleport to the Palace entrance or any other Safe Room we've visited."

"That will be very useful. Ready to continue when you are Seeker." Akechi informed.

"Same here." Morgana added.

"Then let's get to it."


	12. Steal from the Rich

The trio left the Safe Room and went to the staircase that led to the fourth floor. Where the previous one was in a zig-zag pattern going up, this one was more like a spiral. The three climbed up, stopping right outside the door when they heard voices.

"One of our guards reported a disturbance. It could be the rebels."

"It most likely is. Have our guards on high alert marshal."

"They always are sir. How would you like for us to respond?"

"Wait for them to make the first move, then crush them with overwhelming numbers."

"By your command, President Kobayakawa."

"Do you have anything else to report?"

Yu was ready to kick the door open, but Morgana stopped him.

"Wait. This is a special Shadow, one that will no doubt be much stronger than any others we've faced. Make sure your ready."

"Ready as I'll ever be." Yu replied, kicking the door open. There was only one Shadow in the room, and he wore a bullet-proof vest and carried a shotgun, and his badge proudly showed 'Special Forces' on his shoulder.

"Akechi. I should have known you would strike once you had another accomplice!" Shadow Kobayakawa snarled from behind a TV screen.

"Your days are numbered Kobayakawa! With our righteous might, our crusade will end your reign of tyranny!" Akechi yelled, showing his cognitive side as he struck a dramatic pose.

"You are welcome to try, as you always have. Marshal! Show no mercy!" Shadow Kobayakawa ordered. The TV screen turned off as the marshal transformed into a warrior with bright red armor mounted on top of a horse holding a spear, and two girls flying with demon wings flanked him.

"Let's do this. Izanagi! Zio!" Yu cried out, his Persona striking at the crimson warrior with a lightning bolt, only for it to bounce off harmlessly.

"That all you got scum?!" the warrior yelled, raising his spear and calling a lightning strike on Morgana, who collapsed and fell to one knee.

Akechi pulled out his gun and started to fire, but the bullets ricocheted right off the armor. The two demon girls made their move, one grabbing Morgana and launching her into the ceiling and kneeing her in the gut when she fell back down. Before Morgana had a chance to recover, the demon wrapped both of her hands around Morgana's neck, preventing the Trickster from calling her inner self. The second one twirled in the air, and the ground beneath Akechi erupted with what could only be described as dark magic. Akechi let out a scream of agony and fell to his knees, coughing up blood. Yu stood alone now.

_Damnit! Come on Narukami, you can win this!_

Yu ordered Izanagi to attack with his blade, since lightning was clearly this warrior's element. Izanagi charged, but the warrior was ready, locking blades with the god of Japan. The other demon woman took advantage of Yu's vulnerability, spinning again, dark magic enveloping Yu shortly after. With his concentration disrupted by the sudden pain, Izanagi faltered for a second. But a second was all the warrior needed. Casting Izanagi to the side, the warrior then impaled the Persona on his spear, turning it to ash, and Yu screamed, holding his head and clawing at it like he was possessed. The warrior saw his opportunity, and ordered his horse to charge. Yu was able to null the pain just enough to process his opponent coming straight for him, but it was too late to do anything. The spear pierced Yu's chest, just barely missing his left lung, and the Wild Card was pushed to the floor by the impact.

"How disappointing. I expected more." The warrior taunted as he got off of his horse.

Yu reached for the spear and grabbed hold, what little strength he had dedicated to getting it out of his body. His eyes widened as the reality sunk in; he was going to die here, and there was nothing he could do about it. He didn't honor his promise to stay out of trouble with Sae, and he had forgotten his promise to send even one letter to Nanako. Thousands of thoughts poured into his brain, all at once.

'_Why did you have to get involved?'_

'_Stay out of trouble.'_

'_You didn't think about potential consequences.'_

'_Another victim of Akechi's crusade.'_

'_You can't save the world. You can only save yourself.'_

Yu closed his eyes and let a single tear flow down his cheek. They were right. He only came here at first for answers, but when the opportunity to help presented itself, Yu was all too happy to go. Just like that night. He had one job; stay out of trouble, and he couldn't do that right. Now, he was going to die, and it would have been prevented if he was smart enough to remember that just because he wanted to do good, didn't mean he was going to win. Just like that night. He was wrong earlier, when he first awakened Izanagi and thought he could fight back. It was just a false hope, another test he failed, nothing but more proof that he powerless. Just like he was on that night.

_Why? Why me?_

Yu turned to his soon-to-be dead allies. Morgana was struggling, but the demon's hold was too strong, and she had already tossed Morgana's scimitar across the room. Every time their guide tried to fight back, physically, or with her Persona, the demon would slap her, twist her wrist, or something else to control her, enjoying her pain like it was a delicious meal. Yu knew that she was just as powerless as he was.

Looking over to Akechi, the man who got them into this mess just to satiate his own personal need for justice, Yu found the detective had tried to rush the warrior with his bare hands. The warrior, who left his spear in Yu, simply backhanded Akechi's cheek, and before the teen could recover, grabbed the back of his neck. Dragging him over to the other side of the room, the warrior turned on the TV.

"President Kobayakawa. The rebels have been crushed, and their leader awaits your judgment." The warrior stated, taking a bow as he spoke, the two demon women following suit.

"Excellent work Marshal. I knew my faith in you was well-founded. Normally, I'd tell you to make Akechi watch, but after everything, I doubt the brat's learned that opposing me only leads to death and destruction by now. Kill his companions, and bring me Goro Akechi's heart on a pike." Kobayakawa ordered.

The warrior nodded and with an aggressive turn, threw Akechi into a wall, and walked to Yu, pulling out his spear as Akechi struggled to even stay on all fours.

"Narukami-san, I am so, so sorry. Had I known it would turn out like this, I never would have asked to come here." Akechi apologized, looking over at his fallen leader.

"What did you think would happen rebel? Did you really think you would win simply because you thought you were heroic? Did you think that you'd be the victor of any battle because your motivations were doing the right thing? Do you not know the definition of insanity? It's doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. And you have done the same thing, vermin; taken good and honorable citizens and turned them into scum, simply because you think you know better, because you want to be a hero. But you're no hero. Not to me, not to the other piles of trash you call friends, and certainly not the people who you want to save! You are a naive brat who needs to be put down like the insane animal you are!" Kobayakawa taunted with glee.

Akechi stood up, refusing to let his enemy see his weakness. The warrior raised his spear to separate Yu's head from his body.

"You're right about one thing; I was naive and stupid. I thought that no matter how powerful the villain was, they could be beaten. I mistook a work of fiction for real life. But I was wrong. So very wrong. This is an unfair world where mercy is seen as weakness, friends are nothing more than stepping stones to greater power, and kindness is the same as foolishness."

Yu closed his eyes, accepting of the hand fate had dealt him. He and Akechi were alike after all. And now, they were both going to meet a truly foolish end because of it.

"But you know what? I know better now. I know that I can't win if I play your game. Shujin is your nation, after all."

"Wait Marshal. Has this trash finally learned his lesson?" Kobayakawa asked, a smirk forming on his face.

"And because of that fact, you are allowed to do whatever you please without fear of the consequences, and with every life, every future you stomp out, you do so to stop me from fighting. But I won't stop, not now, not ever. I refuse to give in to a tyrant, I refuse to bow to a ruler that doesn't remember his power comes from the people! I will _never_ stop fighting, and with each ally of mine you hurt, you only double my resolve. I will stop you Kobayakawa, and I no longer care what lines I must cross to do it!"

"**So, you finally admit the truth." **A spectral voice bellowed, a voice that carried some familiarity as Yu heard it speak. After Akechi those words, his eyes suddenly widened, and his eyes glowed an unnatural yellow. There was a THUMP in the air, like a heartbeat.

"**This world is a hive of corruption, a place where the rigged system rewards the vile and punishes the honorable."**

Akechi let out a scream of pain and grabbed his head. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to watch.

"**Justice cannot be done by playing by the rules of such a system. The only way to win a rigged game is to cheat. If the rulers of society decree that you do evil, then their rule must come to an end. And now that you know you cannot do the right thing by following the law, you will have the power to do what the law cannot."**

The agony only seemed to increase with every word, and so did Akechi's screams.

"**At long last, the time has come for us to seal our contract."**

Akechi collapsed to the floor, his veins seemed to be popping out of his neck and skull as the pressure in his head doubled.

"**I am thou. Thou art I."**

Akechi howled from a pain that Yu knew all too well.

"**The weak need a protector, a warrior with few rivals and no equal. The righteous need a champion, a sword to cut down those who would bring ruin to others for their own selfish desires."**

Akechi felt something on his face. A crimson mask with a very long nose in the shape of a woodpecker's beak. The detective smiled as he imitated Yu, grabbing the mask and beginning to tear it off, ignoring the searing pain and the pouring blood. The voice continued on.

"**The world needs a hero. And you. Are. That. HERO!"**

Akechi felt the most pain he had ever felt in his whole life at that moment as he finished tearing the mask off. His smirk stretched from ear to ear as a column of blue flames erupted underneath, consuming him completely.

When the flames vanished, gone was the tan pea coat with a police badge, and instead, he wore a royal outfit mixed with a cavalry uniform that was pure white with a red collar and small red cape that was about half his torso in length. Dotted vertically on his chest were golden straps in the shape of a bow that reached to his belt, which had an "A" embroidered on it in the center of a laurel. With the fire gone, a figure stood behind him. His Persona.

His Persona was a tall, silver, muscular figure standing at attention, with a golden bow and arrow in his right hand, ready to fire. He was dressed in medieval archer costume colored with white, gold, and dark grey, with a massive blue cape flowing through a breeze that wasn't there. On his chest was a blue plaque with the letters "RH" emblazoned proudly in yellow on his chest, as if he was a superhero in costume. Finally, on his head was a red, pointed hat with two small golden wings attached to the sides, and the gold extended to a chin guard.

"Let the wicked tremble before us… _**ROBIN HOOD**_!" Akechi declared with a dramatic pose.

The new power forced all three Shadows to abandon what they were doing and take up battle formations. Morgana coughed and wheezed before whispering her Persona's name. Lady Trieu raised her sword, and Yu felt his wound close, but the pain was still there, and it burned. Morgana forced herself up and dragged her legs over to Yu and flung him over her shoulder. Her voice rasped as it formed words.

"Come on Seeker. We can't die here."

"Akechi, can you handle these?" Yu wheezed out.

"Of course. I got us into this train wreck, I'll get us out." Akechi replied, clapping his hands together, and when they separated, a blue flame formed between them. Reaching into the flame like Yu did before, the fire vanished, leaving only an azure lightsaber in Akechi's grip.

"Do not be so confi-" one of the demons started, only to be interrupted when Robin Hood twirled his bow, at the command of Akechi, and two rays of light collided into her. Before the other demon could respond, Robin Hood repeated the action.

"Help him, or we're not getting through this." Yu ordered, feeling some of his strength return.

"I can't… focus. Healing you used the last of my power. He's on his own." Morgana replied, trying to get them to the door as fast as she could.

The warrior charged Akechi, and Robin Hood pulled back the arrow attached to his bow and let loose. The arrow managed to hit the little space between the helmet and body armor, cutting right through the Shadow's neck. The warrior vanished in a cloud of ash immediately afterwards, and Akechi ignited his lightsaber and charged at one of the demon girls, the hot plasma cutting through her with ease. The other demon recovered from the previous attack, and tried to fight back. The ground erupted with the same black magic as before, but Akechi was ready, sidestepping it like it was a slow bowling ball. Taking off his mask to summon Robin Hood again, the demon was dead, and she knew it. After repeating the same spell as before, Akechi ran over to Yu and helped Morgana carry him.

"Wait, the code!" She yowled.

"I picked it up while running to get in striking distance of those demons. We must concentrate on leaving while we still can." Akechi replied.

The three hobbled their way down, and all Yu could think about was what just happened. If Akechi didn't have the potential, they would have died. If the warrior had moved his spear a little to the left, Yu would have died. And for what? Revenge? Justice? People he hardly knew? None of those things were worth dying for. Yu felt his anger bubble more and more, both at how he should have known better, and at how his family back home would have been devastated if he had perished here. He remembered all the times he had to drag his father away from the bar after mom died. Yu remembered how hard the two of them tried to help Dojima get over the loss of his wife, how he would always make excuses to not see Nanako because she reminded him of her mother, and how happy the three were when he finally moved on. The two men shared a bond that could only be broken by death, and if that bond was broken, it would in turn break Dojima and Nanako, maybe beyond repair.

The three finally made it to the Safe Room. Yu pulled out his phone and pushed the 'Palace Entrance' button, teleporting them out of the hotel. Once they were out, Yu had enough strength to stand on his own again. He turned to Akechi. Everything about Narukami spoke of barely contained fury, from how his hands were clenched so tight that the claws drew blood, to his twitching eye, to how he grinded his jaw.

"I'm so sorry Seeker." He began with an apologetic look.

"Stop. Just stop Akechi." Yu ordered, doing everything he could not to yell.

"Seeker! Codena-"

"No Morgana. I'm out." Yu replied hastily.

"W-what?! No, that's… but… wait!" Morgana stuttered out, caught off guard.

"You can't be serious! You can't abandon us!" Akechi yelled, a mix of fury and terror in his voice.

"I'm very serious Akechi. That was far too close. The only reason we survived was because of dumb luck, and next time, we won't have someone to awaken to a new Persona. Coming here was a mistake." Yu said, his frustration starting to bleed into his words.

"But… but, you're our ace! If we don't have you, we won't be able to infiltrate the Palace!" Morgana explained.

"Not my problem. Besides, you and Akechi have Personas. You can do just fine." Yu countered.

"You'd let justice-"

"Mention justice, the greater good, or any other cliche bullshit, and I'll punch you in the groin Akechi." Yu threatened.

"You can't do this! We need you! Please!" Morgana begged.

"Narukami-san, please, think this through!" Akechi also pleaded.

"I have Akechi. Not thinking this through is what almost got me killed."

"I warned you about the dangers! You still wanted to help!" Morgana reminded.

"I made a bad decision. One that I won't repeat."

"Narukami-san-"

"Listen to me Akechi. When I left for Tokyo, I promised my little sister that I'd write to her. I have yet to write a single letter, or call to either her or my dad. Can you imagine how terrified they would be if they didn't get any word from me?"

"That's perfectly reasonable Narukami-san, but-"

"NO! I'm not dying for your crusade Akechi!" Yu yelled as his cool and collected mask finally broke. Both Akechi and Morgana recoiled from the sudden outburst.

"I heard what you said loud and clear. That every death only doubles your resolve. Neither you nor your Persona voiced any concern or care for those lives. You never said you'd bring Kobayakawa down to avenge those who were hurt by him, only so that you could be satisfied with your idea of justice. Neither of you said that you wished you could've saved them, or that you cared about what happened to them. Everyone that helps you is just a soldier to you, and you send them to the meat grinder while you watch from safety. You're no hero. In fact, you're no different than Kobayakawa!" Yu roared with every bit of strength in his lungs.

Akechi's eyes widened, and his jaw went slack from Yu's words. Then his eyes narrowed, his hands clenched into fists, and he felt his teeth grind against each other. Yu turned around to return into the real world, but Akechi grabbed his shoulder. Yu spun around and landed a solid right hook on Akechi's face, sending the detective to the ground.

"I'm out Akechi. You want to make a difference? Do it yourself." Yu said before getting out his phone and leaving his teammates behind.


	13. What Comes Next

Yu took out his phone and looked at the time. About 45 minutes had passed, so Makoto would still be finishing up Student Council. He decided to shoot her a text.

Yu: Finished tour with Akechi. Going to wander around for a bit. See you at the apartment.'

He started to walk away from the school, and his phone buzzed and he saw a text in reply.

Makoto: Please don't do anything reckless, and text me if you get lost. Remember to be back by nine. I'll see you later.'

Yu put his phone away. He wondered what would happen now, especially given his explosion at his teammates. Were they really his teammates? No. He had only known them for a few days, they could barely be called acquaintances, so he didn't care what happened to them. Yu felt his stomach churn at that thought, but he didn't know why. It was true. He then felt a sudden jolt, like he had touched a doorknob and been struck by static electricity.

_ Is Izanagi… fighting me? _

** Why not ask me yourself? I am right here.**

Yu turned around, then to his left and right, but found no one there.

** Right here. **

Yu looked in front of him and saw himself, but his eyes were a sickeningly yellow, his face was caked with dried blood, and his mouth was contorted into an unnatural grin. Before Yu had the time to say, or think anything, the mirror image was engulfed in a column of electricity, and when the dust settled, hovered the imposing figure of Japan's original god. The only thing he was missing was his naginata.

** You don't have to speak in order for me to hear you. Do not worry, no one, not even other Persona users, can either see or hear me, so long as we walk the real world.**

_ Was that jolt just now you? _Yu thought as he continued walking.

** Yes. You were trying to repress your true self, and I wanted to remind you of your contract.** Izanagi replied as he hovered behind his user.

_ Which one? The one with you, or the one with the Velvet Room? _

** The one that told me you were worth saving. And you are dangerously close to violating its terms.**

_ I meant what I told Akechi. I'm not dying, especially for a man who can't be bothered to fight his own battles. _

** Except he did fight. He knew he didn't have a Persona, yet he still chose to follow you into the lion's den. He still chose to fight alongside you and help when he could. **

_ And now he has a Persona. He can fight Kobayakawa. Without me. _

** Except he's been fighting for two years now, without results. He needs us, and we both know it. You simply refuse to admit it, because your recent brush with death has led you to falter.**

_ Deciding that you don't want to die isn't faltering. _

** Yes it is. You'd rather live as a slave than take the risk that comes with freedom?**

_ At least I'd be alive. I'm sure dad and Nanako would appreciate that fact. _

** True, Dojima especially would be devastated if you died. But your father goes to work with a gun on his hip and a badge on his chest, knowing full well that this day could be his last. Why? Because he wants to help people. That's who Dojima Narukami is.**

_ I'm not my father. _

** No. But you are your father's son, and you have his compassion for your fellow man. That's why you helped the woman that night. That's why you joined Akechi and Morgana. That's why you vowed to never forget how good freedom feels, because freedom lets you do what your father does.**

Yu was silent for a moment and stopped to get his bearings. He had walked all the way from Shujin to a train station, and he boarded one to Sibuya. Finding an open seat and taking it, Izanagi took a seat across from him, and put his hand to his chin, awaiting Yu's reply. Grey eyes met soft yellow orbs, both daring the other to back off.

_ That was then. Now, I'm smart enough to know the price of being a good Samaritan. _

** But will Akechi? He has proven that he will try to fight Kobayakawa and win, even if it kills him. Are you fine letting someone you could have saved die because you were too concerned with your own well-being?**

Yu broke the staring contest as the train stopped and he got off.

_ True, I don't want Akechi to die, but… I'm willing to sacrifice him if it means keeping my family from falling apart because of my death. _

Yellow lightning surged across Izanagi's body, as if he was ready to attack. Yu felt his skin prickle, his feet refused to move, and his blood ran cold. Izanagi's next words were quiet, but seemed to silence every other sound as they went through the air.

** Now who's no different than Kobayakawa?**

Yu had to pause right then and there. Those words cut through him deeper than the spear had. But he knew Izanagi was right. He first called upon his Persona because he didn't want Akechi to die, and now here he was, ready to sacrifice the same man, just for his own survival.

** Akechi even said that if he knew what would happen, he wouldn't have wanted to return to the Metaverse. Can he really be faulted for events beyond his control?**

Yu shook his head. He really didn't want to talk about this anymore, and he knew that if he kept arguing, he would lose. Izanagi was his inner self after all. He needed a distraction, something to get his mind off of this. As if God answered his silent prayers, Yu spotted a bob of blonde hair cascading lazily in pigtails and light azure eyes in the massive crowd. Ann. And she was talking on the phone with someone.

_ Izanagi, since you're in the real world, can you do anything while you're here? _

** I can't alter how you affect the world, but I can alter how the world affects you.**

To show what he meant, Izanagi flew over to where Ann was and Yu felt strange. His vision began to blur, and sounds started to mess into one giant blob that could not be ignored. Among the cacophony of noise, Yu could pick out Ann's voice among it.

"I've been trying sir, but-" Ann pleaded.

A voice interrupted, and Yu couldn't make out the words, or who it belonged to.

** Close your eyes and focus.**

Yu did as Izanagi suggested and focused while having his eyes shut. He was now looking and hearing through the eyes and ears of his Persona. To the outside world, he probably looked like someone had just closed his eyes to think. If he did this again, it would have to be sitting down so he didn't draw suspicion. Izanagi's eyesight was smaller than normal, but he could hear Ann just fine. And he recognized Kobayakawa's voice all too easily.

"And? What's your point?"

"The point is that I can't do it. Now that he's been warned to probably treat me like the spawn of Satan, I'll never get close to him."

"If he can't get close to you, then perhaps he will get close to your friend."

"Shiho clobbered him with a volleyball. I'm pretty sure he wants nothing to do with her."

"Then you will have to pick up the slack. Use your body, like you always do. You've just the right about of foreign and familiar parts to appeal to any man."

"WHAT?!"

"You heard me. Summer uniforms will be allowed soon enough. I advise you get something… fetching. And should he want to do something… fun, you are to do it."

"Oh, so I'm just supposed to kiss his ass and lick his balls?!"

"If that's what it takes. I don't need to remind you what happens should you fail. The next time I call you, I expect results, not excuses."

With that, Kobayakawa hung up. Ann had water starting to leak out of the corners of her eyes, and all Yu could think about was how Kobayakawa saw her; a prisoner he whipped whenever he needed something done. Yu couldn't let this go. So he started to walk to her without realizing. When he did and stopped himself, he was already standing behind her.

_ Izanagi, what did you do? _

** Nothing. You walked of your own accord.**

Yu took in a deep breath. He was here now, so he might as well give it a shot. He cleared his mouth loud enough for Ann to hear him, and the blonde turned around and eyes widened in horror at who it was.

"I heard the whole thing." He said calmly, and Ann looked downcast, her eyes staring at the pavement.

"So you did, huh? Shiho told me she warned you about my deal with Kobayakawa."

"Yea. I want to talk about that."

Ann let out a laugh, but it was cold and bitter. She looked at Yu and started to walk away, gesturing him to follow her with her hand.

"Come on, let's talk in private." She said.

Yu followed her down a single street that was lined with an arcade, a bookstore and a diner on the left side, while on the right was a DVD store and a fast food restaurant called 'Big Bang Burger' and at the end of the street was a movie theater. Ann walked into the Big Bang Burger and found them an empty booth. Once the two were seated, Ann looked and Yu and Yu looked at Ann. Awkward silence filled the air before Ann started.

"So, if you're here to take advantage of the fact that I'm supposed to do anything to get on your good side, what do want me to do?" She questioned, fiddling with a napkin.

"Be honest with me. If it wasn't for your deal with Kobayakawa, would you be talking to me right now?"

"Honestly? Probably, but for very different reasons. I consider myself a good judge of character, so, when I see you, I don't see a violent delinquent that does drugs, was a part of the Yakuza, or whatever those idiots say about you. And I know Ryuji would try to make friends with you, and so would Shiho. Ryuji because he's a delinquent ever since Kobayakawa forced his family to move to that rotten motel, so he knows what it's like to be judged by people who won't bother trying to get to know you, and Shiho because she's one of the nicest girls on planet Earth."

Ann let herself smile as she talked, and it was genuine and warming.

"How did the three of you meet?" Yu asked, enjoying the sight of her smile.

"Back in elementary school. Back then, I was ostracized because of my looks by the other girls, and once puberty hit, the boys would only talk to me because they thought foreign girls were easy. But one day, in art class, Shiho walked up to me. Do you know what she said?"

"Your painting is as awful as your acting?"

Ann let her lips slightly part, and her eyes narrowed, creating a look of 'Did you just?'.

"No. She just said 'your painting sucks.'. And come on, my acting isn't bad."

"Yes it is. What about Ryuji?"

"Ryuji once saw me getting picked on at school because of my hair color, and got the girls to leave me alone. The next day, he came in with dyed yellow hair. He got in so much trouble for it, and when I asked him about it, you want to know what he said?"

"What'd he say?"

"He told me 'I did it so you wouldn't feel so left out.'. I introduced him to Shiho, and the three of us have been side-by-side through most of elementary. But, eventually, Ryuji started to drift from us once he started doing track."

"Wow. First time I met him, he was extremely vulgar."

Ann's eyes narrowed, and her smile vanished, replaced by a scowl.

"You can thank Kobayakawa for that. Hell, pretty much every student with half a soul has had their lives strangled by that glutton. And not just students. Every faculty member except for Ushimaru has been strong armed into doing what he says. And the cops can't do anything without evidence."

"Akechi told me the story. Said that mistakes caused the first team to fall apart, and then those members caused the second team to crash and burn."

"Yea, I was there. Don't get me wrong, I want him gone just as much as the next guy, but nothing is more important to me than Shiho's safety."

"You and her must pretty close."

"Yea. I guess it's because we've both been pariahs and only had to rely on each other for comfort."

"I sense a story behind that."

"Well, my parents are fashion designers. Because of what they do, they're almost never around in the house. All I have is a maid called Amy to take care of me. But I know they love me, they always visit when they can, and when they do, they always want to do nothing but spread time with me. But, those times are few and far in between, and they're getting even less frequent."

"What about Shiho?"

"She has it even worse than me. Her parents are doctors, some of the best in the business. We're talking called in to operate overseas good. Because of that, they have the heavy burden of expectations placed on them. And since they always meet the high expectations that's placed on them, whenever Shiho doesn't perform flawlessly in… well, anything, they yell at her, or if it's been a bad day, hit her. I was once in her house when she showed them her exam grades. She was 9th in the top ten, but since she wasn't top of the class, her mom called her a runt, and her dad told her she was a disgrace to the Suzui name."

Ann started to cry, crumpling a napkin as she broke down.

"Everyone treats her like shit, and she doesn't deserve any of it! All she gets are slaps from people who are supposed to raise her, even though she does nothing but her best?! Why is it that no matter what she does, no matter how kind and patient she is, everyone around her treats her like she's a disease?! She's the only reason I keep going to that hellhole of a school!" Ann screamed, the tears refusing to stop pouring.

It took a few minutes, but Yu sat through her outburst patiently. Once the tears could no longer come, she looked at Yu with red eyes. She sniffled and he offered a napkin, which she took, voicing her gratitude as she used it.

"Sounds like you have quite the history at Shujin." Yu finally spoke

"That's putting it mildly. But you wanna know something crazy? If I could go back to when I was with Akechi's team, I would invite Shiho to join us, just so we could take Kobayakawa down together. Even if we would fail again."

"You would risk it?"

"Getting rid of Kobayakawa is worth any risk, minus Shiho. But I've droned on enough about my problems. I'll be going now."

"Wait, I want to ask you something."

"Look, if it's about the deal with-"

"How well does the volleyball team perform?"

Ann pulled her head back, caught off-guard.

"Um… what? Where did this come from?"

"I've seen Shiho in action. And the season's starting soon, so, I want to know, how well does the team perform?"

"Ever since Shiho joined? They always win, but that doesn't make her popular on account of hanging around me."

Yu let his mind get to work on thinking. The one and only reason she was bothering to talk to him was for Shiho's sake. But what he saw at the rally told him that Shiho was the star of the team. And a good team would only boost Shujin's reputation.

"Would Kobayakawa risk potentially damaging Shujin's volleyball reputation just to keep me under control?"

"That's… a good question. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't risk Shujin's reputation for any reason. Why?"

"Because if that's true, then that means he isn't willing to let Shiho get hurt, then he has no leverage over you, and you aren't obligated to do what he says." Yu pointed out.

"A-Are you sure? What if you're wrong?"

"You said you consider yourself a good judge of character. What does it tell you about him?"

Ann was silent for a moment, holding her hand up to her chin. Then she let a coy grin slowly take shape. She looked Yu straight in the eyes and hers seemed to sparkle.

"No. He wouldn't dare risk Shujin's volleyball rep. Especially for a new student."

"Then I guess we're done here." Yu said, checking the time.

"I think so too."

The two students got up and left the restaurant. Yu decided to head home, especially because of how late it was, content that Izanagi was silent. Ann whipped out her phone and scrolled to the number she had saved as 'Eggman' and typed a text.

'You can kiss his ass and lick his balls yourself if you want to know him so badly.' After hitting 'Send', the two students went on their merry way, both smiling at what had come of their talk.

But neither knew Shiho was still at Shujin.

* * *

Akechi and Morgana were left wild-eyed and dumbstruck at how quickly and viciously Yu's attitude changed. When they started, he had the determination like that of a warrior hardened by a thousand wars, and he certainly fit well into the leader role, taking down Shadows with complete ease. But one screw-up, one stroke of bad luck, and he had abandoned them like they were food wrappers. Akechi felt the sting from the punch Yu gave still on his face. Was it a mistake to bring him into this? Was Akechi wrong to ask someone he met only days ago to help him? Akechi thought about what Yu said. He was used to words such as that, and they almost always came from strangers or Kobayakawa himself, so Akechi brushed it off as rhetoric designed to make him lose control. But to hear it from a comrade was something else. Was he really no different than Kobayakawa? True, he continued to fight, even knowing what had happened to those who helped him, but he told himself that he'd avenge them, that their sacrifices wouldn't be in vain, and yet…

"Hey, we should probably leave. It'll be a matter of time before Shadows come looking." Morgana suggested, her voice sounding just as tired as she looked. But there was something else in it. Hopelessness.

"Aren't you going to leave and wait for us to come back?"

"What do you mean 'Us' evil-eye? Our leader just quit, and I don't think he's coming back. Plus, I only left to gather intel. Now that we know how to infiltrate the Palace, even though now we probably never will, I don't have any reason to stay here, especially since I've exhausted my mental power and can't summon Lady Trieu."

"Don't you have a master? Igor I think his name was?"

"Yes, but I can't enter the Velvet Room at will. My existence is tied to the Metaverse. Which means if I want to get out, I need a way to exit it just like you and Seeker."

"Oh no. I had forgotten that Naruka- Seeker was the only one with the… app?" Akechi pondered as he pulled out his phone and saw an app he didn't remember installing. An app in the shape of a black and red eye with a star for an iris.

"What is it evil-eye?"

"I seem to have the same app Seeker does."

"Really? Think he transferred it to you?"

"Can he do that?"

"I dunno. Not even Master Igor told me much about how the Meta-Nav works."

"I see. In any event, we need to consider how to steal the Treasure." Akechi remarked as they neared the entrance and returned to the real world.

"I don't think we can evil-eye. Yu's talents would be a massive help later down the line. There's no way we'll be able to successfully steal the Treasure without him." Morgana replied dejectedly as she leaned against a wall in the alley.

"I refuse to give up, especially now that- GAH!" Akechi yelped after he turned to Morgana.

"What? Is there something wrong?" She asked innocently.

"Y-yes, there's something wrong! You're completely naked!" Akechi pointed out, averting his eyes and trying to block out the sight with his hands.

Morgana looked down. Akechi was right, aside from her bright yellow scarf and a belt that had a golden 'V' strapped around her waist, she was as naked as a newborn. The fact that Akechi seemed to be embarrassed for her confused the woman to no end.

"Why are you looking away? Don't humans take pride in their appearance?"

"Y-yes! But… it's considered indecent to go running around nude!"

"Why? Don't human males want to see females like this?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips and flashing a smile, eliciting a blush from Akechi.

"That's not the point!"

"That's not a no." Morgana teased.

"Y-you know what? Here, take this." Akechi said, taking off his pea coat and handing it to Morgana.

"Why should I wear this? It's itchy." Morgana whined as she grabbed and felt it.

"Just do it. Please." Akechi begged.

Morgana let out a groan, but did as Akechi said. It was about two sizes too big for her, so it came down below the waist, and the sleeves were too long for her. She let out a growl of annoyance as the fabric pulled and scraped against her bare skin.

"Wait here, I'll be back with some clothes. My place isn't that far." Akechi said, breaking into a light jog down the alley.

* * *

Akechi had returned about 15 minutes later with a pair of jeans, shoes, and a white shirt with a yellow cat paw on it, all in a neatly folded in a pile. Morgana took off Akechi's coat and tossed on the ground in front of the teen, who had turned away to give her privacy. After a few minutes, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw a fully dressed Morgana, but the clothes were the wrong size. Again. Only this time, instead of being too big, they were too small, with the jeans hugging her figure and the shirt leaving her navel area exposed. But she was decent enough to walk around in public, which was good enough for Akechi.

"Thanks for this. I think I'll keep it!" Morgana beamed, adjusting her jeans.

"Please, be my guest. It's too small for me anyway. We can get you new clothes later. Right now, I should let Makoto-san know that I'm heading home." Akechi said, shooting Makoto a text and turning back to Morgana.

"As for you, how come you came out of the Metaverse completely naked?"

"Well, since I wasn't made in the waking world and sent straight into the Metaverse, I always had my 'Metaverse outfit' that only takes form in there. But I think I understand why you humans cover your bodies. These are very comfortable, like I'm wrapped in a cloud."

"If you were made in the Metaverse, then that means you won't have a place to stay. You can stay with me in my apartment for the time being." Akechi suggested as he picked up his coat.

"That's a good idea. By the way, I don't remember what your real name was evil-eye."

"Goro Akechi." Akechi answered with a small bow.

"Alright Goro, lead the way." Morgana replied, mimicking the gesture.

"Please, call me Akechi. I like it more than Goro."

"Alright. What's your home like?"

"It's not much, but there should be enough for the two of us." Akechi informed as the two left.

Akechi and Morgana had arrived at his home; a shaggy little apartment room that had a kitchen, living room, and bedroom. Scattered all over the walls were sticky notes in circles that had red strings attached to them and a picture. For some sticky note circles the picture was crossed out with a red 'X', while for others, the pictures were clearly visible. Most were mugshots, but some were from street cameras. On the table in the living room a briefcase was wide open, and inside was…

"Why do you have Yu's photo in here?" Morgana asked, picking up the file inside.

"When Sae-san introduced me to her ward, my curiosity was peaked, and as such, I did some research. Imagine my surprise when I found out he had a criminal record."

Morgana dropped the file, a gasp escaping her as she covered her lips.

"C-criminal?! B-but… he's a Trickster! And a Wild Card! T-they aren't supposed to be-"

"Look at the file. If you can read it carefully, you can pick up a few things. First off, the victim's name is struck out. Normally, I wouldn't find this odd; there have been many victims that want to stay out of public light, but the piece of evidence that damned Narukami-san was this."

Akechi pointed at a paragraph in the file.

"A testimony by a woman who also wanted to remain anonymous. According to her, she was returning home from a normal day at work, when she saw Narukami-san attacked the man of his own volition, struck first without warning or threats. So, that begs the question; if she was simply at the right place at the right time to witness this assault, why didn't she record it? Doing so would only help her."

"Maybe she was too surprised to record it."

"No. We live in an age where any time something out of the ordinary happens, people record it on their phones and post it for all on the internet to see. Plus, she's the one who supposedly called the cops, so the battery wasn't dead. There's also the fact that there wasn't any check-ups on the victim to see the extent of the damage. No hospital stays, nothing. She also refused to go into any details of the assault. When most people see an attack, they can remember it, even if the rush of adrenaline can muddy the details. This should have set off alarm bells in court, but neither the judge nor the jury seemed to care. Finally, there's the fact that Narukami-san's lawyer was a law school dropout and had a history of drinking. What does this tell you?" Akechi asked, laying out all the facts.

"W-well… um… it means that… uhhhh…." Morgana dronned, having no clue what to say next. Akechi took that as his cue to answer his own question.

"The incompetence of the lawyer, the witness's shakey testimony, the victim's anonymity, and the lax judge and jury all scream of a rigged trial, one where Yu Narukami was set up to take the fall for a crime he didn't commit. My hypothesis? Narukami-san found the woman being harassed by the so-called 'victim' and moved to intervene. A brief struggle occured, one where the 'victim' was injured. Judging by how there were no recent hospital admissions, the injury must have been minor, and as a result of Narukami-san's actions, the 'victim' was enraged and decided to sue Narukami-san. Given how the 'victim' was able to single-handedly decide the court case and bypass procedure, I'd say Narukami-san crossed paths with a very wealthy, influential, and powerful politician."

"You sound like you know who that politician is."

"I have a guess as to his identity, but I need more proof, or else I will go on a wild goose chase. The final nail in the coffin to prove that Narukami-san was innocent, for me at least, was when we first entered Kobayakawa's Palace by accident. We were in the middle of being arrested and Narukami-san was starting to despair. I told him we'd be alright on the basis that we did nothing wrong, and Narukami-san said that it didn't save him last time."

"Wow. I'm impressed. You were able to figure all that out just by reading his file and one line from him?"

"I wouldn't be regarded as the Detective Prince if I wasn't good at my job."

"Yea, I guess so. Speaking of jobs, congrats on awakening your Persona!"

"Thank you. Though, I wish it was under better circumstances."

"I know. With Yu leaving us, we are essentially crippled."

"We can't give up."

"I know, but without our Wild Card, it'll be like trying to run a marathon while waist-high in mud. But still, he had a point. Your speech to Kobayakawa made it seems like you didn't care at all about who gets hurt in your fight with Kobayakawa, only satisfying what you think qualifies as 'justice'."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come across that way. In truth, I feel immeasurable guilt over what happened to everyone that helped me and Makoto-san. When Kobayakawa took down the first team, I wanted to give up, to make sure Kobayakawa didn't hurt anyone else to get to me."

"I sense an important 'but' coming in."

"But I had a… rival. Akira Kurusu was his name. He told me that I wasn't the one that broke Futaba's mother, I wasn't the one who put Mishima in a coma, I wasn't the one who blackmailed Kawakami. But I was the one who chose to fight against Kamoshida, and win. Because of that, he said, I gave the students hope. And if I gave up now, so would everyone else. He told me to keep fighting, to avenge the victims if nothing else. After that talk, I assembled a second team with Makoto-san, and the rest, is history."

"I see. You should tell Yu that. I'm sure he'll change his mind once he hears that it was just a misunderstanding."

"I agree. But at a later time. It's late enough for dinner, I can warm up some ramen for us. There is also the matter of school tomorrow. You'll need to find a way to entertain yourself."

"Can't I just come with you?"

"No. There are rules, procedures that we'll have to go through if we want you enrolled, and you don't have any of the proper qualifications to do so. You need parents, or at least a legal guardian, funding, and other things."

"Awwwww, really?"

"I'm afraid so. And I don't have the kind of pull to get Ushimaru to make an exemption."

"That sucks."

"Indeed. But it is what it is. I'll get to work on the ramen. Make yourself comfortable." Akechi said as he undid his tie and unbuttoned his top button. After a few moments, the two were happily eating in silence. Once that was over, Akechi went to sleep at Morgana's insistence.

* * *

Yu laid down on his bed, trying to fight off sleep as much as he could. When he had gotten back, Makoto was already cooking dinner, and once they ate, the two finished their homework and went to bed, Yu refusing to go into details about his 'tour' with Akechi. He knew he would likely be summoned to the Velvet Room, and there he would have to face the music. Looking at his alarm clock and finding it was 11:30, he knew he'd need his beauty sleep if he wanted to get through school. And no one could stave off sleep forever. With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes.

When he woke, he saw that he was back in his cell, and his wardens seemed to burrow holes into him with their respective single eyes. He expected them to be furious, to yell at him, but instead they simply looked disappointed. Even Igor's trademark cheshire grin had seemed to grow dimmer.

"Well well well. I didn't think you'd give up after a minor inconvenience." Caroline chastised, but there was no bite in her words, only sorrow.

"You call almost being killed a minor inconvenience?"

"Compared to what will happen in the future? Absolutely." Justine replied, her monotone voice even more robotic now.

"I must say, I never thought I would be disappointed by a guest, but there is a first for everything." Igor said, shaking his head.

"Easy for you all to say. All you do is sit here and watch. You weren't there when I was arrested, you weren't there when I imprisoned in that Nation, you weren't there when I was almost killed!" Yu retorted, getting up from the bed.

"True, but that's because we have rules that prevent us from directly interfering with fate more than we already are. The sole reason you are even allowed access here is because you agreed to a contract." Igor explained, his voice as soothing and disturbing as before.

"A contract I want out on."

"Are you sure? The contract clearly states that if the world is to survive, you must seek the truth."

"What truth?"

"The truth behind what really brought you here."

Yu had a confused look, but Igor continued on, ignoring it.

"However, if you wish to render our contract null and void, you may do so. If you do, you may never return to the Velvet Room, the Metaverse Navigator will most likely vanish from your phone, never to show itself again, and you will be free to live your life as you see fit. But know this; if you choose this path, you will forfeit the Personas you have collected, and Izanagi. None will heed you should you call, and your fellow Tricksters; Goro Akechi and Morgana, will attempt to continue your battle, regardless of your decision. Maybe they will succeed, maybe they will fail. It all depends on your choice. If you nullify our contract, you will forever be trapped in the prison of your heart."

Yu looked down at the floor. He was right back at square one, a trapped, helpless person in an unfair world. Igor spoke once more.

"I do not expect you to make your decision right at this moment. Once you have decided, call upon your Persona. He will ask you a question, one that you have answered already. Should your answer change, your contract with both him and me will be rendered null and void. But, should your answer remain the same, then you will have regained your resolve to fight against ruin. Until then, you must think about your decision; will you walk the path of freedom, or the path of security?"

The bell began to ring, signaling that Yu's time was up.

"Farewell inmate. Good luck." Caroline wished quietly.

"I hope this is not the last we meet, inmate." Justine added just as softly.

Before he passed out, he heard two final words from the long nosed man.

"Choose wisely."


	14. The Will to go on

Yu woke up and head to school, same as always. He had dozens of texts from Akechi on his phone, both explaining what happened after Yu stormed off, and offering his apologies. The final text asked if they could meet up after school, and Yu was still debating about his answer. He was torn between two desires; the desire to live and the desire to help. Izanagi was quiet this morning, maybe because he needed to be summoned before he could speak his piece. The god wanted Yu to go and help Akechi and Morgana, but Yu's fear made him hesitate. The sight of Dojima becoming a drunk and almost losing his job, alienating his family, and ruining his life was one Yu had tried to forget with every fiber of his being.

Yu was walking down the street to Shujin right behind two girls when he heard a familiar name pop up in their conversation.

"Volleyball practice was good enough, but the weird part was that Shiho once left to use the bathroom and she never came back."

"Really? Isn't she the goddess of that sport? Why would she skip out?"

"I dunno."

This information sent Yu's brain into overdrive. Was she sick? Did she get hurt? Would she be at school? Did he underestimate Kobayakawa's hunger for control? Did he get his hands on her?

The last question made Yu's blood run cold. If Kobayakawa went after Shiho, it would no doubt be in retaliation for Ann failing to become Yu's friend. An action Yu encouraged her to take. He shook his head. No. There was a perfectly good reason for why Shiho left early. He was worrying over nothing.

Everything was fine. Right?

"Why is he still here?" One student whispered as Yu entered school.

"Didn't he get in a fight? How come he hasn't been expelled yet?" Another replied.

"Don't worry. Once Akechi-senpai ropes someone into his crusade, it'll only be a matter of time before they wind up in the hospital."

"Yea. If he isn't expelled by being a crook, he'll get out because he got involved with Akechi. One way or another, he'll be gone. Think we could hold a party when that happens?"

Yu reached his seat and sat down, getting his notebook out as the rumors did nothing to help his mental state. As school started, he noticed Ann was a bit on edge, fidgeting in her seat and checking her phone every three seconds. She was worried, and it was probably because she heard the same rumors he did. He put his hand on her shoulder and whispered "It'll be ok." She looked back at him, and he could tell she didn't believe him. Hell, he didn't even believe himself. Outside, dark storm clouds were rumbling and the occasional thunder cracked. Something bad was going to happen, Yu could feel it in his bones. As the English teacher, , was in the middle of a lecture, a student stood up.

"Holy shit, look over there!" he yelled, pointing to a window.

"Quiet! Sit down!" ordered.

"Oh my god! Is she going to jump?!" Another student gasped.

By now, the rest of the school had joined in to see the spectacle. Yu was behind most of the students, but he could see what they were looking at; a girl was standing on top of the roof. A beautiful girl with raven black hair tied up in a pink headband.

Yu's body reacted on instinct. Pushing every bit of energy he had, held in reserve, and didn't even know he possessed right to his legs. Sprinting up the stairs and to the roof, his mind and body were on autopilot, working with one single goal in mind. A goal that both he and Izanagi voiced.

_**Save her.**_

Flinging the roof door open, Shiho turned around like an animal that heard a noise in the tall grass. Yu examined her, and everything told the story. She had a black eye, several bruises on her arms and legs, and she was clutching her side, not to mention her legs were positioned in a way to relieve the groin area. Her eyes were watery, and if eyes really were the window into the soul, then her soul was shattered. Whereas yesterday was a strong, beautiful person that kicked his ass in volleyball and apologized about it several times, today was a doll that looked like it had been ripped apart by violent children and lazily put back together by indifferent adults using scotch tape. And Yu knew that this wouldn't have happened if he hadn't encouraged Ann to stand against the boxing coach. He had to make this right.

"Shiho…" he croaked out, his mouth going dry at the sight.

"Don't… don't come any closer! I'll jump!" She screeched, her voice cracking.

"I… I know. Please, don't do it." Yu pleaded, his brain scrambling to think of something.

"Why? Why shouldn't I do it?!" Shiho screamed, her tears starting to fall down her cheeks.

"Because you don't have to. I can help you." Yu answered with the first thing that came to mind, and immediately regretted it.

"I don't want your help! Do you know who did this to me?!"

"Kobayakawa." He answered, looking down on the ground as guilt and shame began to well up in him.

"Yes. Do you want to know what he did to me? He…"

Shiho fell on her knees, head in her hands as she sobbed.

"He showed me a text he got… from Ann."

Shiho stopped crying, sorrow replaced by immeasurable fury, a bubbling cauldron of rage finally tipping over. She glowered at Yu, and he knew that if she had a Persona, it would unleash all of its power on him right then and there. And it probably wouldn't stop until the whole school was a pile of smoldering ash. If Yu was being honest, he knew both deserved worse.

"You know what I'm talking about, don't you? I know there's no way Ann would do that on her own, she would have to be convinced. She wouldn't listen to Akechi, and Ryuji's too stupid to suggest something like that. So, that means she finally got to talk to you, and you told her something like 'he won't dare hurt Shiho'. Am I right?" She hissed.

Yu clenched his fist and looked away in shame, giving only a slow nod in response.

"He beat me. Bruised me. And once he was done using me as his own punching bag, do you know what he did? He… he violated me, Narukami. My first time… was with that monster! I was told… that the first time was supposed to be magical, a thing to look forward to, something… truly wonderful. But… there was nothing wonderful about what he did." Shiho lamented, sobbing into her hands at the horrid memory. But she turned her eyes back to Yu, and the venom returned.

"And after that… he used me however he wanted until he was satisfied. And by then, I barely had the strength to crawl my way home."

"So why kill yourself? Why not take your anger out on me?" Yu asked.

"Because beating you up won't change anything, even if I had the strength to do it." Shiho spat, her anger starting to give way to sadness yet again.

"It wouldn't help anyone. It won't make the pain go away, and it won't return what Kobayakawa robbed me of. There's a voice screaming in my head to jump, that if I go over that edge, it'll all be over. The pain will stop." She explained, this time with all emotion drained from her as she looked at the edge, and stepped up, ready to fall to Earth. Ready to give up.

_**Save her.**_

"There are other ways to make the pain go away. Don't listen to that voice."

"Why not?"

"Think of all the people that would be hurt if you died. Think about your parents. Think about Ann."

"My parents don't care about me. I have had tried so hard to see them acknowledge me, but all I got were 'You could have done better' or 'You runt! You're unworthy of the Suzui name!' and 'I'm ashamed to call you my daughter.' They don't care about me, they care about their jobs, their reputations. Why else would they not even mention a word when I stumbled into their house, looking like this?! As for Ann…"

Shiho looked back at the school, at the crowds of people watching the exchange between her and Yu go down, recording the whole thing on their phones, like it was just another form of entertainment to them. Among those crowds, she could see a few concerned faces watching with terrified eyes and hands covering open jaws. Ryuji, Akechi, Makoto, Kawakami. And then there was her, the person who mattered the most to Shiho. She looked almost as broken as the once dignified volleyball champion. Rivers of tears had already streamed down her face, silently begging her friend not to jump. Pleading that the girl would come back to her.

"...she's stronger than I ever could be. She'll survive."

"Do you want her to survive, or do you want her to live?" Yu asked, feeling the same power that called his Persona start to reverberate within him, like a drum that was beginning a song. He felt like Izanagi had merged with his heart, and that caused him to speak what he truly thought and felt.

"What… what do you mean?"

"On the night I was arrested, I saw a man harassing a woman, determined to have his way with her. I stepped in, and as a result, he sued me, and because of that fixed trial, my life was ruined. My father was mocked at work, my sister was bullied at school, and I was expelled. Everyone I was willing to take a bullet for turned their backs on me, disgusted and afraid."

Yu looked her straight into the eyes, his grey orbs seeming to rekindle the fire behind Shiho's brown. His next words were the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

"I know what it's like to have everything ripped away from you in an instant. I know how it feels to be powerless against a force dead set on breaking you. And I know all too well the desire to just end it all. But I didn't give in to that desire. Because I know that there are people in the world that actually still care about me, and how devastated they would be if I left them. And because I knew that I would have happy times with those people again. If you want to give in, if you don't believe you'll ever have a happy day again, then go ahead and jump. I won't stop you."

Shiho looked at the ground, the words of Yu Narukami sinking in. She began to falter, she began to doubt if this was what she really wanted. Yu saw her hesitation, and stepped within arms reach of Shiho.

_**Save. Her.**_

"I can't give back what Kobayakawa stole. I can't undo the damage that wrong has done to you. But I can do everything in my power to help you get better. If you believe you can have another happy day, if you want to see Ann smile again, and if you don't want to see Kobayakawa win, then take my hand. If you do, I promise, I will help you, no matter what."

Yu extended his arm, and Shiho looked at it like it was a bear trap. She then looked back at the school. Then she looked at Ann. Finally, she turned back to Yu, and with a shaking hand, accepted his offer. As he pulled her close, he could hear the cheers and applause from everyone all the way on the rooftop. Shiho began to cry into his chest, and Yu heard a voice.

_I am thou. Thou art I_

_Thou has acquired a new vow._

_It shall become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth._

_With the birth of the_ _**Empress**_ _Arcana,_

_Thou hast obtained the blessing that will grant thee new power_

"Come on. Let's go." Yu suggested, and Shiho simply nodded.

The two students hobbled their way downstairs, and waiting for them were Ann, Ryuji, Akechi, Makoto, and Ushimaru. Ann bolted immediately to Shiho's side, hugging the girl tightly as the waterworks went full force.

"Oh my God, are you ok?! You had me worried so much! Thank God you're alright! Don't ever scare me like that again!" She yelled rapid fire as the two friends embraced each other. She looked at Yu from the corner of her eye and mouthed 'thank you'. Ryuji joined in on the hug on the other side of Shiho.

"Don't worry, we're here for ya. Anything ya need, just ask." the boy offered, a sincere smile on his face. He turned to Yu and whispered "Nice work dude."

Akechi and Makoto walked up to Yu.

"Well done Yu-kun. Your father would be proud, and no one could have done that better." Makoto started.

"I agree. Narukami-san I owe you an-" Akechi began.

"No. It was unfair of me to explode at you for events out of your control. Meet me after school so we can talk about it."

Akechi gave a gentle smile and simply nodded while Makoto looked confused as to what they were talking about. Ushimaru walked up to the group and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to intrude."

Everyone turned their attention to the principle.

"First off, Suzui-san, you are head immediately to the hospital to treat your injuries. I've already called an ambulance, so they should be here shortly. You are to take two weeks off to get the help you need, and you will not be required to make up any homework or tests that you miss in that time."

Shiho gave a weak smile as Ushimaru turned to Yu.

"As for you, Narukami… well done. I certainly didn't expect you of all people to pull that off, but I am grateful nonetheless. You stopped a student from ending her own life, and in doing so, gave her a second chance. For that, you have my gratitude. If you need one favor, I will grant it, so long as it's within reason, of course."

_Guess that means no firing Kobayakawa._

"I see. Thank you Ushimaru-sensei."

"You are most welcome. I've already dismissed the rest of the school, and canceled all club activities. There's no way anyone will be able to concentrate after that. Feel free to leave whenever you wish."

The students simply nodded and headed out while Yu walked back up to the rooftop. By now, the ambulance pulled into the school Yu watched the girl get in, her friends undoubtedly promising to come visit her. He smiled. He would have to talk to Akechi soon, but first…

_Izanagi. I'm ready for your question._

His Persona materialized from thin air in front of him.

**Very well. Remember, you answered this question before. If your answer has changed, then I and the other Personas within you will vanish and never return. You will also lose your ability to enter the Velvet Room, and most likely, the Metaverse. But if your answer stays the same, then I will remain by your side to the end of your journey and beyond, and you will have decided to commit to finding the truth and delivering justice, no matter the personal cost. With that in mind, are you ready for the question?**

_I am._

The silence was deafening as Izanagi stopped hovering and walked to Yu. He looked his user dead in the eyes, and his question seemed to echo across the world.

**Were your actions that night a mistake?**

Yu looked back at the god, his grey eyes never breaking visual contact with the yellow orbs. Any doubts he had before had vanished. He finally understood why Akechi was so determined to see this through. He understood that Kobayakawa wouldn't stop unless someone made him. And he understood that no one else could do it but him and those like him. He felt a surge of thoughts at that moment.

'_Kobayakawa. There are many words to describe him. Merciful is not one of them.'_

'_Kobayakawa will know the price of what he's done.'_

'_Right the wrongs of this world!'_

'_Are. You. In?'_

**I'll ask once more. Were your actions that night a mistake?**

_No. And neither were any of my other actions since I got here._

**Are you sure you wish to travel the path of freedom? It will be a long, grueling journey, one that will hold many dangers.**

_Then it's a good thing I won't travel alone. _

The god chuckled dryly, satisfied with Yu's answer.

**It will not be easy-**

_-but nothing worth doing ever is._

**I am thou.**

_Thou art I_.

The two figures nodded to each other, Yu's resolve now steeled for the coming storm as Izanagi vanished into Yu's heart once again. He remembered his promise to never forget how good freedom felt, and he made another. He vowed that he would change Kobayakawa's heart, as penance for getting Shiho into the current state she was in. He heard the door open and saw Akechi poke his head through the cracked doorway. Yu tilted his head to signal that it was ok for the detective to come through.

"Hello Narukami-san. You wanted to talk?"

"Yes. After giving it some thought, and, considering what happened today, I've changed my mind. I want back in. And this time, I'm here to stay."

Akechi let a massive grin form on his face and did a fist-bump in the air.

"YES! That's excellent news, Narukami-san. I'm sure that Morgana-san will appreciate it. When will we resume infiltration of the Palace?" Akechi asked, hopeful and happy.

"Later. If this is going to work, we can't afford a repeat of last time. We'll have to prepare, rather than rush in without a plan. We already have intel, so now we need equipment. Since you have a Persona, we will need guns to balance the playing field among us. We also cannot completely depend on Morgana healing us, so we also need medicine. And we don't know if we'll encounter a block like the locked door, so gadgets are a must as well."

"I can get us the guns, but for medicine and gadgets, I'm afraid you'll be on your own."

"That's alright, we work out the details later. As for right now, I want to go home and try to think about our strategy. Come and get me in about two hours."

"Understood. I'll text you when I've arrived."

"Got it."

The two made their way out of Shujin, the other students having left already. It was still midday, and the sun was blocked out by grey storm clouds, but the foreboding was gone now. As the two teens went their separate ways, Yu called out to his new partner.

"Hey Akechi."

"Yes Narukami-san?"

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier."

"And I'm sorry for giving you the wrong impression. Let us make it up by having each other's backs in the Palace."

"Sure thing."

The two left each other, and Yu felt his bond with Akechi grow stronger. Boarding the train and heading to the apartment, Yu went inside to find Makoto studying. Upon noticing him, the younger Niijima gave him a warm smile.

"That was a good thing you did today Yu-kun. Not many people would have done what you did, especially for a stranger."

"It was nothing."

"Saving a person's life isn't 'nothing' Yu-kun."

"Yea, that's true. Hey, Akechi and I are going out in a few hours, so I'm going to try and do my homework before then, ok?"

"Alright. I'm glad that you and Akechi-kun settled your differences. This keeps up, you two might be inseparable."

"Heh, maybe." Yu chuckled as he went into his room. He pulled out his probation diary and began to write. If Sae decided to read this, he'd pass it off as a game he and Akechi played.

_Dear Diary… _

_Well, this probation sure hasn't been boring. I discovered a place called the Metaverse, a dimension that lets me enter and alter the hearts and minds of people who are so cartoonishly evil that they can literally distort said dimension into a spot called a Palace. One of these Palace's is called 'Shujin Nation' which is basically an even more messed up version of Shujin Academy. This Palace is ruled by a guy called Kobayakawa. He's basically like the cops at a frat party; nobody likes him, he thinks he's doing something good, and he makes life difficult for everyone involved. Also, there are these hidden demons called Shadows in them, and I get to open a can of whoop ass on them in the form of my inner self; Izanagi. _

_On a more serious note, I don't exaggerate when I say that Kobayakawa has made Shujin hell on earth for everyone there. He leaked my record, so I now have zero chance of making any friends outside of Akechi. And trust me, leaking my record is probably the least of his offences according to what Akechi told me. Apparently, he and Kobayakawa have been fighting for the past two years, and each time Akechi came close to ousting Kobayakawa, something would go wrong and those who helped Akechi would suffer. But now, we have a way to fight back, and after some reflection, I'm committed to that fight. Next time I write in here, it'll be to tell you that we nailed the SOB._

Yu decided to stop there, refusing to mention Shiho's suicide attempt, as he really didn't need a reminder of that event. He didn't need to remember how broken she was, or that he was indirectly responsible for breaking her. No, no thinking about that. If he went down that path, he might never stop, and guilt wasn't something he needed if he was going to steal Kobayakawa's heart. He let out a mix of a sigh and a groan. Then he remembered something important. He got up and pulled out his phone, scrolling down until he found what he was looking for.

Home.

Holding his phone up, he waited as the tone rang and rang, until…

"Hello?" Someone asked, and Yu's eyes almost popped out. He didn't recognize this voice.

"H-hello. Is this the Narukami residence?" Yu asked, having a mini panic attack at the idea that his phone had somehow been tampered with, or a complete stranger in his house.

"It is." The voice was male, perhaps a teenager, but it sounded completely disinterested and dead inside.

"I'm Yu Narukami."

"Oh… you. Dojima-san told me about you. You his son or something?" The voice asked. Under normal circumstances, Yu would assume this guy was a punk talking like that, but something told him that this person was just being friendly. Or at least his definition of friendly.

"Yea. So, who are you and why are you at my house?"

"Hmm? Oh, right. Forgot to introduce myself. I'm Minato Arisato. And I'm staying at your house because I transferred to the school here in Inaba." He continued, still monotone.

_Why does that name sound familiar?_

"I've never heard of you."

"Neither did your dad until a few days ago. Guess it runs in the family."

Yu rolled his eyes. Somehow, he knew that Minato wasn't trying to be rude, but that didn't make it any less irritating.

"Is he there?"

"No, he's working. But there's someone else here."

Yu heard the boy shout, somehow sounding emotionless at doing that. The next voice he heard brought a smile to his face and a tear to his eye.

"Big bro! You called us!" a little girl cried from the earpiece, joy overflowing in every syllable.

"Hey Nanako. How have you been? Have the bullies still been bothering you?"

"No, not as much as before. Emo Elmo really helped!"

"Emo… Elmo?"

"She was being bullied and I stepped in. They called me emo. The day right before, I talked to Nanako as a sock puppet named Elmo." Minato explained. They must have the phone on speaker.

"Oh, I see."

"Yea! Thanks to Emo Elmo, the bullies have stopped being mean!" Nanako chipped.

"I see. Thanks… Emo Elmo." Yu said with a coy grin.

"Sure thing." Minato replied. If he was angry at the nickname, he didn't show it.

"How's dad been?"

"Daddy's fine. He's been playing with me more ever since he and Emo Elmo went away for a few hours!"

"That so? What happened Emo Elmo?"

"You'll have to ask your dad about that." Minato answered, almost a little too quickly.

"... Alright. Be sure to tell dad that I'm doing alright, and I've already made a friend."

"Yaay! What's his name?"

"Goro Akechi. He and I have been getting along well."

"Yaay! I'm glad you're making friends. Does anyone know about… that night?"

"No, they don't." Yu answered, then paused. He waited for a few seconds, but much to his surprise, Minato didn't say anything. Why? Any normal person would be mildly curious.

"Aren't you going to ask about what we mean?" Yu questioned.

"No. Should I?" was Minato's bored response.

"Well, it's just, I thought that you'd be curious."

"No. It's your business, which I'm pretty sure it is not that interesting."

_Oh, if only you knew what has happened to me since then. If only you knew._

"Alright. I have to leave now, so you take care Nanako. Be sure to tell dad that I'm doing ok, and be good for him, ok?"

"I will. Goodbye big bro!"

"This won't be the last we talk. You can be sure of that." Minato warned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means we'll probably talk again. Nanako said that you'd call often, so I'll probably have to answer. Why? What did you think it meant?"

"Oh. Uh… nothing. Goodbye." Yu said with a huff, ending the call. That Minato was something else. He looked at the time and knew that Akechi would be dropping by anytime soon, so he decided to get dressed in more casual clothes. Flinging on a simple grey t-shirt and jeans, he got a knock on the door and a call from Makoto. Going through to the living room, he saw Akechi, who had also changed his attire. Instead of his pea coat uniform, he wore clothes that looked like they belonged to an old man. A sleeveless sweater with blue and grey colors in a diamond pattern on top of a white button-up shirt. Standing next to him was Morgana, who wore her yellow scarf on top of her head like it was a headband. She was also dressed in a white t-shirt with a yellow paw on it that barely covered her navel area and jeans that clung to her lower body and were held up by her 'V' belt. She gave a small wave which Yu returned.

"Hello Narukami-san. Ready?"


	15. Prep the Gear Part 1

"Of course." Yu answered.

"Ready for what? What are you three up to? And who is this?" Makoto questioned, raising an eyebrow and looking at the woman by Akechi's side.

"This is Morgana. She's a huge fan of mine and she's offered to help me out in my duties." The teen detective answered.

Makoto looked at the girl, now even more suspicious, which prompted Morgana to speak up.

"Yup! Akechi's a real hero! I look forward to fighting by his side."

Makoto rolled her eyes, her skepticism gone.

"And why are you here?"

"Oh nothing. There was a movie we were going to watch with Narukami-san after school let out, but since it's early, we thought we'd go to an earlier showtime to avoid paying the afternoon fee. Want to come with us?" Akechi asked.

"What movie?" Makoto asked, trying, and failing, to keep her voice even. She was probably hoping it'd be a Yakuza film.

"Night at Grandma's. You know, the newest addition to the Grandma trilogy reboot?"

The mention of the movie caused Makoto's face to go pale.

"D-does Yu-kun… like… those kinds of movies?" She asked in a hushed whisper.

"I'm not really sure. I plan on finding out." Akechi replied in an attempt at whispering that was too loud to be successful, like he was doing it on purpose for comedic effect. Makoto let out a gulp and turned to Yu, her knees starting to shake.

"W-well… alright then. Enjoy the movie! P-please don't tell me the details when you get back." She pleaded as Yu left, hastily closing the door behind him.

"A little tip if you ever want to get Makoto-san to leave you alone; tell her your going to see a horror movie." Akechi informed as they started walking.

"Thanks, I'll be sure to keep it in mind. Now, where are we going?"

"Right this way."

Yu followed Akechi and Morgana out of the apartment and down to the train station. The two boys and girl were pressed rather tightly together, due to the fact that it was the lunchtime rush. Once the doors opened, they were shoved out and had to stumble to get their footing to keep themselves from falling. Akechi continued to lead through the Shibuya Square, all the way up to their destination. Neither noticed through the crowd of people that there was a certain bald, muscled man watching them.

"Akechi. Why are we at a police station?"

"Because you wanted a gun?"

"Ok, but…"

"Narukami-san, I am aware that the authorities may put you on edge, but just trust me on this, alright?"

"Fine. After you, Detective Prince." Yu said with a bow and outstretched arm.

"Very well. Oh, and Morgana, please wait out here."

"Sure thing!" Morgana chirped with a nod.

The two entered the station, and saw a rather fat officer with brown hair slicked back eating donuts at the reception desk. Once he saw the two, he shoved the last 2/3rds of the donut he was eating right into his mouth and sat up. He raised an eyebrow at Yu as the two approached.

"Akechi, who's the rookie?" The fat officer asked, suspicion oozing from his voice.

"Yu Narukami. Narukami-san, this is Junya Kaneshiro."

"Narukami? Well hot damn boy, your old man's a legend here." The officer, now known as Kaneshiro, exclaimed, his mood lightened greatly as he leaned back in his chair.

"He's a legend everywhere in Japan." Yu replied.

"Especially to Akechi-kid here. You know, your old man is the reason our tween detective started his career in the first place." Kaneshiro explained, pointing at Akechi, who felt heat rushing to his cheeks.

"H-He doesn't need to know that!" Akechi shouted a little too loudly.

"Bahahaha! Totally worth seeing the look on your face Akechi-kid. Now, what can I get you? Pistol not working out for ya?" Kaneshiro asked, smiling at Akechi's embarrassment.

"N-No, it's not that. In fact, it's everything I could have hoped for. No, we're here because we need to get Narukami-san here a weapon."

Kaneshiro's face turned grim as he leaned forward.

"Look Akechi." He started, dropping the playful 'kid' and his tone far more serious.

"The reason why I let you skip the paperwork was because I owed you and because you are technically a member of the police. But this kid, even if he is Dojima's, is still a kid. I can't go around handing weapons to high schoolers without the proper identification and paperwork."

"I know. That's why I'm not asking that we give him a real weapon. We simply need a model. And to bypass all that bureaucracy."

"Hmmmm… I could get in big trouble for this ya know. You could too. The director, even that Niijima woman treat you like a pain in the ass when they don't need you. You sure ya wanna risk getting on their bad side?"

"I'm sure."

"Well I'm not. So find someone else." Kaneshiro replied, turning his attention to some paper stacks.

"How much?" Yu asked before the cop could turn his attention away completely.

"What's that now?" Kaneshiro asked, looking out the corner of his eye.

"You heard me. How much would it take to make it worth the risk?" Yu asked, pulling out all the money his dad had given him before he left and slamming it on the counter.

"Narukami-san!" Akechi gasped.

Kaneshiro smiled.

"Heh. I like you kid, you got guts. Follow me." Kaneshiro ordered, getting out of his chair and taking the money.

"Remember, I'm only going to be selling models. If you want real guns, don't come to me. I ain't getting ya in trouble." He added, getting a key out of his pocket and unlocking a door.

Inside were several boxes that had been opened and emptied. Proudly on display were several weapons, from shotguns, to assault rifles, to grenade launchers. Walking through the armory, Kaneshiro led the three to the back, to a door that read 'Display'. Kaneshiro opened it up. It was far more cluttered and less organized than the armory, but Yu could see just as various weapons as outside.

"We use the ones in here for demonstrations, showing them off to the public, and so on. Now… Pick a gun. Any gun." Kaneshiro suggested with a smirk, delighting in the fact that they shouldn't be doing this.

Yu looked around, testing the grip, weight, and so forth, pretending they were real. The rifles were too bulky for his taste, the shotguns had no finesse, and the grenade launchers would be too heavy for him to carry around all the time. Finally, he saw something, a pistol tucked behind a cardboard box, like it was hiding in order to test him.

"I like this one." Yu said, picking up and examining the gun.

"Wow, good eyes kid. That's a Mauser C96 machine pistol. Not sure what that's doing here though, we're supposed to keep our models up-to-date." Kaneshiro said, scratching his chin.

"How much?"

"Consider this a freebie. But next time, you'll have to pay a pretty penny." Kaneshiro answered, tossing Yu's money back at him. He didn't bother picking up something for Morgana, remembering that her slingshot's pelts hurt just as much as a gun's bullets.

"Alright. In that case, we'll be leaving."

Yu put the pistol in the back of his pants and made sure his shirt covered it. He and Akechi left the police station, and Yu looked around once they were outside. There was no one there, aside from Morgana to walked to them once she noticed. He decided to pull out the pistol and examine it, testing the weight, sights, and grip. Once he was done with his evaluation, he put it in the back of his pants and smiled. Yes, this would do nicely indeed.

"That looks so cool! I can't wait to see how it performs!" Morgana said excitedly.

"What happens now?" Akechi asked, turning to their leader.

"Now, I'd like to visit Shiho, see how she's doing. Along the way, we'll have to brainstorm how we're going to get the other items we need." Yu informed, walking down to the train station.

"Akechi told me about the gadgets. Don't worry about those, I can teach you how to make things like lockpicks and smoke bombs, and what I can't make, my utility belt probably has. That leaves medicine. Any ideas?" Morgana asked as they boarded the train.

"I don't know. But we know that you have healing spells, so we may have to keep you and your power reserved for medic." Yu replied.

"That means you and I will have to do all the fighting." Akechi pointed out.

"True, but we can't risk another member. Especially since there's a chance Kobayakawa could have his hands on their throats."

"Very well Narukami-san. You're the leader."

"Actually… I realized something." Yu began.

"What?"

"Since Shiho's still conscious, it means that she can rat out Kobayakawa."

"True. And since she's had no prior contact with me, or squabbles with the coach, Ushimaru-san will have to take her word as gospel. It'll be enough to get him fired, at least."

"I'm sensing a 'but' in there." Morgana interrupted.

"Kobayakawa has a lot of money. He'll be able to afford a good lawyer, and then there's going to be Morooka's testimony that will, naturally, claim the opposite. He'll get off the hook, and he'll rule Shujin through the shadows."

"And then we're back to square one." Yu sighed dejectedly.

The train doors opened up, and thankfully, lunch time rush had ended. The three stepped out into the open air and made their way to the Tokyo Central Hospital. Like all hospitals, it was clean, with swept floors and tiles, not a speck of dust to be found. It was also busy, both with doctors going about their usual routines, and visitors sitting in various waiting rooms or talking to the reception desk. But inside the pristine waiting room, there was a man arguing with a nurse. The nurse stomped her foot, causing the man to recoil as she screamed at him.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT! I refuse to endanger a patient for your 'medical experiments' you washed up quack!"

"P-please, just-" he pleaded

"The answer is no! Now get the hell out of here before I call security!"

The man hung his head low and turned to leave. He was dressed in a lab coat with a pair of torn cargo pants that were tainted by ketchup, mustard, bleach, and various other stains along with blue polo shirt complimented a loose white tie with a red Caduceus running down it. There was also a name tag attached to the coat. Shoichi Oyamada. Shoichi was a man who had greasy, short, black hair that was just as disheveled as his fully grown beard, which had crumbs of food in it.

Yu was curious with what that nurse meant by 'medical trails', and made a mental bookmark to ask the nurse about it. Apparently, Morgana also noticed, as she nudged Yu with her elbow and whispered to him.

"Be sure to keep that guy in mind. He could be willing to give us some drugs."

Yu nodded, hoping no one else heard that. Now, it was time to see how Shiho was doing. After figuring out what her room number was, they went upward and found a doctor talking to a couple, presumably Shiho's parents.

"How bad is it?" the woman asked.

"Thankfully, this rape was intended more to traumatize than actual sexual pleasure. Tests show that it was done anally and orally, so she won't have to worry about a surprise in nine months. As for the physical damage, she has a few cracked bones, but nothing is broken. She'll have pain walking, but none of it seems to be permanent, but the bruises will take time to heal, and I highly advise against any strenuous activities, like volleyball. Given a few weeks in here, she'll be right as rain."

"Thank god." The man sighed, relief heavy in his voice.

"She's conscious right now. Her friends are in there already."

"We would like to talk to her, if that's alright." Yu requested.

"Hmmm? Who are you two?" The doctor asked.

"We are also friends of hers. Goro Akechi, Yu Narukami, and Morgana Carmen." Akechi introduced with a small bow.

"I see. I still need to talk to her parents to fill out the required paperwork and finer details, but you two can head on inside." The doctor permitted.

The two simply nodded as they head in. Shiho was lying in bed, talking to Ann and Ryuji. All three looked at the new arrivals and each giving a smile when their eyes drifted to Yu. Ryuji gave a wave from his chair.

"Yo. Glad to see ya. We were wondering when you'd show up. Who's the chick?" Ryuji asked, eyeing Morgana up and down.

"This is the woman who helped me get back home." Shiho explained.

"Really? You helped her get back Morgana?" Yu asked.

"Yea. Why wouldn't I? She's a fellow human."

Morgana then gave the most over-exaggerated wink possible. Everyone but Shiho expressed some form of discomfort. The bedridden student continued.

"I was stumbling through an alleyway, constantly falling to the ground, struggling to support myself on the walls, when this woman came up to me. And her very next words were… 'excuse me, but could you get out of the way?"

There was a brief chuckle from everyone except Morgana.

"What's so funny? She was in my way."

"As you can see, Morgana-san isn't from around here." Akechi replied with a nervous grin.

"Anyway, once she saw how injured I was, she offered to help, and took me all the way back to my house. I asked her what her name was, she gave it, and now we're here."

"Wow, that was awfully nice of you Morgana. Thanks for helping her." Ann thanked.

"What were you doing at that time Morgana-san?" Akechi asked.

"Oh, mostly exploring. This _is_ my first time in the waking wor-" Morgana started, but was soon cut off by Akechi placing his hand on her mouth. Ann, Ryuji, and Shiho gave the two questioning looks before Yu spoke up.

"In any event, I'm glad to see you're alright Shiho." Yu said, trying to change the subject.

"Yea. Thanks for stopping me. I'm so sorry for worrying all of you." Shiho apologized.

"Don't apologize. You're safe now, and all's well that ends well, right?" Yu replied.

"Speaking of ends, hopefully, Ushimaru-sensei will come by to check up on her. And when he does, that boxing coach is as good as gone." Ann declared, pumping her fist into the air, a smirk forming with her mouth.

"It'll get him fired, but I'm afraid one testimony won't be enough against Morooka's."

"What about the other students? If they testify about Kobayakawa's blackmail and abuse, then it'll have to get him at least some time in prison." Shiho retorted.

"That's… hmm. I never thought about that. And if Sae-san is heading up the case, and worries about Makoto-san…yes. Yes, I think that will do nicely. If we can get all of the members of my former teams to talk, Sae-san will be able to get him locked up for a substantial time." Akechi muttered to himself, a grin starting to form.

"Hell yea! Then count me in! That asshole is going down!" Ryuji cheered with a cheeky grin. But as if those were magic words, Yu's phone chimed. Pulling it out, his eyes almost popped out, color vanished from his face, and his skin prickled as he read the message.

"Yu-kun? What's wrong?" Shiho asked.

"I got a text from an unknown number. It says 'if you don't want your guardian to see this, you'll tell Shiho to not implicate Kobayakawa'. It's a picture of me and Akechi."

Akechi looked over Yu's shoulder and grimaced. On Yu's phone was a picture of him holding his newest gun, Akechi and Morgana by his side.

"It's blackmail material. On Narukami-san." Akechi said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"H-how bad is it?" Ann asked.

"Bad. Very, very, bad. Worse, Morgana-san and I are in this as well. If Sae-san sees this, forget throwing you out, she'll turn you in straight to the police. I'll lose my job, and Morgana-san will most likely be put in jail as well."

All the joy and excitement evaporated like rain on lava as the news set in. Ryuji punched a wall, Ann clenched her hands into fists, and Shiho rubbed her eyes with her hand. They were so close, but a simple mistake landed them right back to where they started. Yu noticed how quiet they were.

"Aren't you going to ask what it is?"

"Kobayakawa taught us what happens to people when we pry too deeply. Besides, we're better off not knowing, considering that Kobayakawa has us on a leash too. If Akechi-senpai says it's that bad, I believe it." Ann answered, her fists now trembling.

There was a knock on the door and in stepped a big-boned man with square glasses, suspenders, and a plain button up shirt with a red tie.

"Hello Suzui-san, I hope that you are well, considering the circumstances." A stern voice boomed.

"P-principle Ushimaru? You here early." Akechi sputtered out, flabbergasted.

"I came here to check up on Suzui-san. I also intend to find out who did this to her. Are you in a condition to talk about it?"

Shiho looked at Yu. She had a decision to make.

If she told Ushimaru about Kobayakawa, she would be able to at least get him fired, but it would also mean that she'd condemn Yu and Morgana, the two people who saved her life. If she kept quiet, Kobayakawa would be free, and would milk the blackmail material for all it's worth, and the end result would probably be the same for the teen who was on probation. Maybe Yu was better off if he got turned in now. With all that in mind, she made her decision.

"I-I… no sir. I am not. And I don't think I will be until a few more days."

"I see. In that case, please get well. If you change mind, please don't hesitate to talk to either me or Akechi, alright?"

"I will sir, thank you."

"Alright, here's my number, should you wish to talk." Ushimaru explained, handing her a slip of paper with numbers written on it.

"If there's nothing else, I'll leave you be."

With that, Ushimaru walked out, and Shiho shot Akechi an apologetic look. The doctor ushered everyone out; their time was up. The four made their way to an obscure area of the hospital lobby to talk. Ryuji and Ann turned to Akechi and Yu, the fragrance of victory turned into the stench of defeat too quickly.

"Damnit! We were so effin' close to nailing that bastard!" Ryuji yelled.

"Hush Ryuji! There are other people here. But… he is right. I don't think we'll ever get a better chance at removing Kobayakawa." Ann said

"How did that happen? Did Kobayakawa follow us?" Morgana asked.

"He must have. If it was Futaba, she'd probably sit and wait for us to make our move, and only act at the last possible minute. Kobayakawa probably sent her the picture and gave her orders to contact us with the threat. Text her back, let her know the message is received. Kobayakawa will want proof, or else he'll hurt her."

"What happens now?" Yu asked as he did as instructed.

"Now, we all head home. There's nothing else to do here." Akechi answered, giving a curt nod to his classmates, which they returned.

The others left, but Yu went back to Shiho's room. By now, the doctors had done what they needed to do, and Yu was able to slip in behind their backs. Shiho was in blissful sleep, but Yu could tell that they had to administer something to make it that way. There was no way she would be at peace given everything that's happened to her. Yu remembered the cute girl with a pink hairband that seemed so meek and humble outside of volleyball, and he turned her into this: a broken shell of a human being that would probably need therapy for the rest of her life. He had to make this right. Pulling out his phone, he pulled out his phone and dialed Akechi's number.

"Hello Narukami-san. Is there something wrong?"

"Hey Akechi. Just wanted you to know where and when to meet for our backup plan."

"Involving Kobayakawa?"

"Yes. I figured since we couldn't talk about it in front of Ann and Ryuji, we might as well talk over the phone. Anyway. Tomorrow, after school, meet me at the alleyway. Also, send Morgana to the Niijima apartment in a few hours so she can teach me how to make gadgets."

"Understood. In the meantime, I'll start to get in shape. We'll have to be at our best in order to win this war."

"Alright. See you then."

Yu hung up turned to the sleeping Shiho.

"I'll make this right. I promise." He whispered, having no idea that Shiho was awake through the whole thing.

Getting out of her room, he began to track down the nurse from before, he decided to try and track down that Shoichi Oyamada.


	16. Prep the Gear Part 2

"Excuse me miss." Yu introduced.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for someone, his name is Shoichi Oyamada."

"Why?" She asked, her expression turning foul at the mention of the name.

"He's a friend of my family, we wanted to check up on him."

"Really? Didn't think he'd have any friends after what he did. You can find him in a clinic in the Yongen Gia area. But if he asks you to partake in any trails, refuse. You don't want to get involved in that."

"I'll take the warning to heart. Thanks for helping."

"Be careful kid. That quack is dangerous."

Yu gave a nod and left the hospital. After making sure that Kobayakawa wasn't in the crowd, made his way to the train station. It was about afternoon now, if it was a normal school day, he would just be finishing up his class. By now, he had gotten used to the Tokyo subway, so he was able to navigate his way to Yongen easily enough. It was a rather dirty, and very cramped. The only remarkable thing that stuck out was a building that looked like it was a cafe of sorts. At the entrance, his suspicion was confirmed with an awning called "Cafe Leblanc." He'd like to visit this place later, but right now, he was on a mission. It took some searching, but he was able to find a secluded building in an alley that had two blue crosses on its double doors. If this wasn't the place, he'd have to ask for directions or give up on the medicine.

He entered the waiting room and found it was very small. There were about five seats lined along a wall, and it was decorated with various health posters. Sitting behind a counter was the man he was looking for; Shoici Oyamada. He didn't look any different than he did at the hospital. Granted, it was about twenty minutes, but Yu thought he'd at least clean his beard of food crumbs. The man looked up at the teen.

"Welcome to the Hermes Clinic. How may I help you?" Shoichi asked, casting an upward glance at the student.

"Hello, I'm… looking for some meds."

"You'll have to be more specific, I know medicine like Sakura-san knows coffee beans."

"Ummm… I'm looking for any kind of medicine that's good for first-aid treatment, especially for burns, slashes, and other physical injuries. Particularly fast-acting ones. Got anything like that?"

Shoichi suddenly leaned forward and pulled Yu close by the collar, and upon closer inspection, Yu noticed the heavy bags under his eyes. Eyes that were giving a hard stare at Yu. His free hand frisked Yu's shirt before giving a small nod.

"Well, it doesn't look like you're a stooge. Who told you about this place?"

"The nurse who yelled at you."

"Oh. Heh, was worried you were a corporate stooge. But she hates me with a passion, there's no way she'd advocate for stealing from me."

"Steal what, exactly?"

"Meet me in the exam room young one." Shoichi ordered, getting up from the counter.

Yu went through the door that had 'exam room' labeled on it. Upon entering, se saw that it was even smaller than the waiting room, with only enough room for two people. Shoichi gestured for Yu to take a seat on the bed, and Yu obeyed. He was expecting to be bombarded with questions that he'd have to answer with half-truths, but instead, the doc went straight to work performing an examination on Yu. From shining light in his eyes to checking his heartbeat, Shoichi was very through. Once he was satisfied, he jotted down some notes, scratched his scruffy beard and smiled.

"Well good news, young one. You are eligible to receive some of my top secret medicine. The kind you're looking for."

"But?"

"Ah, you're sharp. But, if you want to have them, then you'll have to be my test subject for some experiments."

"Experiments? For what?"

"Irrelevant. All you need to know is that you have to drink this." Shoichi ordered, opening a medicinal cabinet and pulling out a large plastic container with an orange sludge. Pulling out a small plastic cup, he poured the container's contents out and handed the cup to Yu. The teenager looked at the cup like it was poison.

"What is this exactly?" He asked, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

"Irrelevant. If you want the medicine, you must be my test subject. But rest assured, it will not kill you. Hopefully. Probably."

Yu closed his eyes. The stench was awful, almost like it was it was week old garbage stacked on top of a decomposing corpse. That imagery did not help Yu at all as he gulped the liquid down, the slime seeming to absorb the saliva in his mouth and make his throat sore. It tasted just as badly as it smelled.

"You appear to be alright. Excellent, it is survivable."

"Survivable? This-hic-tastes like leftover, moldy-hic-food." Yu said between hiccups.

"Irrelevant. How do you feel?"

"Like I-hic-ate leftover, moldy-hic-food."

"That. Is. Irrelevant. Tell me how you feel? Increased sex drive, crippling depression, watery eyes, anything like that?"

"My throat is-hic-sore, and my mouth-hic-feels like it's on-hic-fire."

"Anything else?" The doctor asked as he scribbled down some notes.

"No, that's-hic-about it."

"Hmmmm." Shoichi hummed, scratching his chin as he finished the last of his notes and setting them down on a desk.

"Very well. You've done your part splendidly. Now, it's my turn. What kind of first aid do you require, young one?"

"Well… umm… fast acting-hic-ones that help with-hic-cuts, bruises, burns, basically-hic-general healing stuff."

"Alright. I've got some experimental pills right here. I was planning on testing them on the newest patient in the hospital, but since you're volunteering, please, let me know how it goes." Shoichi informed, tossing a bottle full of pills.

"Wait, just like-hic-that? Aren't you the-hic-least bit curious?" Yu asked, catching the pill bottle.

"That knowledge is irrelevant to me or your ability to be my test subject. However, I am prepared to cut you a deal. In exchange for volunteering for further experimentation, I will allow you to purchase whatever medicine you may require. Does that sound reasonable, young one?"

"Umm… why will-hic-I have to buy-hic-the meds?"

"I have bills to pay and a mouth to feed."

"Oh. Well, alright-hic-then."

"Most excellent. Let us exchange contact information, and you can be on our way."

_I am thou. Thou art I. _

_Thou hast acquired a new vow _

_It shall become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth _

_With the birth of the _**_Death_**_arcana, _

_Thou hast obtained the blessing that will grant thee new power. _

As Yu finished exchanging his information, he couldn't help but shiver. The Death arcana. Nothing bad could possibly go wrong with a name like that. Nope, nothing bad at all.

Yu left the clinic, looking for a vending machine to parch the dryness of his throat. Sadly, there was only a second-hand store, a bath house, and batting cages. His only option was the 'Cafe Leblanc' he had spotted earlier, so he entered. The cafe held a homey atmosphere, and sported a few booths and stools along the wooden counter that was the bar, as well as a TV secluded in the top corner that was reporting the news. It was very crowded, almost all the seats were taken. All except one along the bar, which Yu took as a man walked out from the kitchen, a hot plate of curry in his hands. Handing it to a woman in a wheelchair who was on a computer, he then turned his attention to the silver-haired boy.

"Ah, welcome. Never seen you around here." The man greeted. He was dressed in a pink button up shirt and khakis which he wore under an apron. He had black hair with a receding hairline and a black beard that curled up at the end, like it was a goat's beard. He had half-rimmed glasses on, and his eyes had a gleam of experience in them as he regarded Yu.

"So, what'll you be having?"

"Something that'll-hic-get rid of this-hic-dryness."

"I think you should get water or something kid. Coffee isn't known for helping people cool down."

"Then-hic-whatever's sweetest."

"Blue Mountain, coming right up."

"In other news, the Minister of Transportation suffered a mental shutdown and died today. This marks the thirteenth public figure to die in such a manner this year. Health officials urge the public to take proper care of themselves." The news anchor reported. Before Yu could listen in some more, the barista came back with the coffee.

"Here you go. Blue Mountain with three sugars. That'll be 500 Yen, please."

Yu fished into his pocket and handed it to the barista. He took in the aroma of the coffee. It was a lovely scent, that seemed to make his nostrils flare up and water start to return to his mouth. He moved the china cup to his lips and took a sip. The flavor made his eyes widen as the drink danced across his taste buds, the delicious fluid consuming his sense of taste. The bastira chuckled warmly at Yu's reaction.

"Never had any proper coffee have you? Nothing but that Starbucks slog, right?" he asked.

"No, I tasted my dad's once, but it tasted too bitter for me. This is delicious. Hey, my hiccups are gone." Yu answered.

"Heh. Glad to see it did the trick. Now drink up, that cup of joe won't stay warm forever. And not even my coffee tastes good cold."

Yu nodded, drinking in the delicious drink and savoring the flavor. He would definitely have to come back here. Giving a simple 'thank you', he left, the coffee working fast against the effects of Shoichi's 'medicine'. Once he got on the train home, he felt a buzz in his pocket and checked his phone. Akechi sent a text saying that Morgana was waiting outside of his room, materials ready to make some gadgets. By now, it was late afternoon, so he should have some time to work with his fellow Trickster. Yu made his way back to the appartement, where Morgana was holding a red toolbox like it was a lunchbox. She smiled wide when she saw Yu approaching and waved enthusiastically.

"Hey there leader. I've got the tools and materials. You have a workbench, right?"

"Yup. Let me." Yu offered as he got out his room key.

Once they entered, Morgana gingerly set the tool box down, so as to not disturb Makoto, who was no doubt studying in the living room. She opened it up and filled his workbench with all the tools, and unloaded the materials.

"Alright, so today, we're going to be focusing on making lockpicks. We haven't encountered them yet, but I'm sure there will be all sorts of goodies hidden within the Palaces." she whispered

"Why's that?"

"If I'm being perfectly honest, I have no idea. Maybe people's cognition of their money also shows up in their Palace, maybe it's another item that's valuable to them. But that's beside the point. Some of these are gonna be in locked chests, so if ya want the goods, you'll need something good kiddo."

"Why are you talking like that?"

"Saw something on Akechi's electric window. I think he called it a TV show?"

"Oh. Well, talk like you normally do. So walk me through it." Yu ordered as he took a seat.

"Let me explain." Morgana started, picking up some materials.

* * *

Within about 45 minutes, Yu had successfully made two new lockpicks, mimicking Morgana's own. Though he had failed three times prior, he finally managed to get it nailed down. He reached in the toolbox to get another batch of materials, but found it to be empty.

"Yea, I didn't have much. If we're gonna have more lockpicks, we'll have to get more materials."

"Yea. I'll see if I can find some place that'll sell me them. Maybe a second-hand store." Yu suggested.

"That's a good idea. But, it's probably best that we stop now." Morgana suggested, looking outside. By now, the sun had begun to set, the city of Tokyo was covered in the orange blanket of the sun's was right, it was pretty late, and he'd have to eat dinner soon.

"Agreed. Meet Akechi and me tomorrow at the alleyway near school. We'll begin our infiltration after classes end."

"Alright! Looking forward to it." Morgan exclaimed with a fist bump to the air.

There was a knock on the door, and Yu heard Makoto's voice.

"Yu-kun, is someone else in there?"

"No Makoto. Is dinner going to be ready soon? I'm starting to get hungry."

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. You alright? You've been in there a long time."

"I'm fine. Just reviewing some materials."

"Alright. I'll call you in a few minutes."

"Ok." Yu finished, opening the door to Morgana.

"Oh, wait!" She exclaimed as she stopped right outside and spun on her heel, turning to Yu.

"Akechi said to give you 'contact info'. Do you know what he means by that?" She asked, rubbing her arm.

"Oh. Do you have a phone? Something like this?" Yu asked, pulling out his own phone.

"So that's what a phone is! Yup, Akechi bought it for me, but I haven't figured it out. At all."

"That's ok. Here, let me set up my contact info."

Yu took Morgana's phone, which had the casting of a black cat, and went to work setting up his contact information in her phone, and vice versa. Once that was done, he handed her back her mobile device, and shot her a text.

'These things let us talk to each other' it read and she let out a gasp.

"Oh wow, that's so cool! What else can it do?" She asked, giddy as a schoolgirl that just got a gift.

"You'll have to ask Akechi next time you see him. Right now, I have to eat dinner."

"Alright. Remember what I taught you, and practice when you get the chance!" Morgana yelled as she ran down the halls. Yu smiled as he heard Makoto call him through the door. Tomorrow, they'd resume infiltration, and if all went well, maybe get to steal the Treasure.


	17. Hell Hath no Fury

Yu walked to school with renewed purpose. Before, he saw Shujin as a prison, a place where he would be tortured for the rest of his time on probation. A place where no one would touch him with a ten foot pole and escalating rumors were made left and right with no credibility whatsoever. But now, he saw the school as a hideout, a place where he can lay low while he went to work changing Kobayakawa's heart. And now, the students started to rethink their opinions of him, if the whispers were any indication.

"Are we sure he's that bad?"

"I mean, he stopped Suzui-san from jumping."

"Yea. I thought he was the reason she was going to jump in the first place."

"Maybe he's not that bad a guy. For a criminal."

Well, they weren't exactly throwing him a life preserver, but they were at least not peppering him mercilessly with foul talk behind his back. That alone gave him a sigh of relief. He would need as much mental fortitude as possible for the coming infiltration. He felt Izanagi stir within him in anticipation as the seconds of the final class ticked by, and when the bell finally rang, he grabbed his bag and borderline ran out of the building. In his bag weren't just his text and notebooks, but also his model weapon, lockpicks, and medicine. He also made sure that, once dinner was over yesterday, he texted both Akechi and Morgana the time they should meet him in the alleyway.

"Pssst! Leader! Over here!" A familiar voice called from the alleyway. Yu looked and saw a blob of black hair peeking out from a trash can.

"Morgana, why are you hiding behind a trash can?"

"So that the enemy can't see us! Akechi told me that Kobayakawa guy goes here too!"

"Morgana, he's not going to attack us in the real world. Hopefully Akechi meets us with us soon. I don't want to push our luck with Makoto any more than we have to."

"Oh! There he is!" Morgana pointed, jumping out like a pet that saw its owner.

"Are you sure it's wise to come so soon after school? There are plenty of people who can see us if we enter the Metaverse." Akechi criticized.

"Which is why we'll go deeper into the alleyway. It'll look like we're just taking a shortcut." Yu countered.

Akechi simply nodded and stretched out his hand, signaling for Yu to lead the way. After getting further in, the group turned around and saw that no one was looking. Pulling out their phones, they all activated the Metaverse app, ignorant of the girl behind them who just turned the corner and was walking towards them in the precious few moments they turned around.

* * *

Shiho had to struggle a great deal to get past the doctors at the hospital, but she had to get to Shujin. Yu had come back to check up on her, but she had closed her eyes to try to rest after the doctors gave her the news. She'd have to give up playing volleyball for a few weeks to prevent the damage in her arms from getting worse. So, when Yu first came in, she wasn't awake until he started talking with Akechi, judging by the voice on the other end. Then he mentioned a backup plan, and she heard Akechi mention Kobayakawa. Sadly, she didn't get to press for answers, as the sedatives had already done their job. The last thing she heard was "I'll make this right. I promise."

The next day, she decided to walk to Shujin to confront the man. She wasn't sure what, exactly, this backup plan was, but if they got hurt, it would be because she wasn't strong enough to keep herself together. If they got hurt because of her, she never would forgive herself, especially since she owed Yu for what he did. The face of relief from Ann, the shocked and horrified expressions of her parents, even Ryuji's inappropriate jokes, all opened her eyes to how much she had to live for. All thanks to a kindness she intended to repay.

So when she saw Akechi and Yu waiting in an alleyway, she didn't waste her chance. Almost sprinting to them, she was about to call out to them until she felt a sharp throbbing in her head. Then the world started to spin and shift and it became hard for her to stand as colors seemed to bleed together. She grabbed her head and closed her eyes tight, trying to force the pain to stop. Then she heard the chirping of a bird, and opened her eyes, all the pain ceasing instantly. She then felt much warmer, and looking around, she understood why. She was in the middle of a road leading to a resort and coming from a forest. And in front of her were Akechi, Narukami, and Morgana. But what happened to their clothes? Why were there weapons with him? Why did Yu pull out a gun?

"Alright, let's get to work." Yu ordered.

"Yes, but before we go, I would like to have a codename." Akechi raised.

"But you already have one, evil-eye." Morgana pointed out.

"Then let me rephrase. I want a _better _codename."

Codenames? What was going on? She tried to speak, but her jaw refused to pick itself up.

"Alright. Let's see, maybe Prince, if we're going by your attire?" Yu suggested.

"No, I'm nothing like a prince. In fact, my Persona is named after an individual who stole from a prince."

"Well then, how about… Crow, since your mask has a long nose?" Morgana replied.

"If we're going by the length of his mask's nose, we might as well call him Woodpecker." Yu retorted.

"No and no."

"Then what do you want to be called Mr. Detective?" Morgana demanded, irritated.

"Hmmm… detective. How about Ace?" Yu replied after some thought.

"Ace?" Morgana pondered.

"Yes. Yes, that's perfect. From now on, my codename is Ace."

"Alright, then let's get going. We'll pick up where we left off in the hotel." Yu told his team members, pulling out his phone and teleporting the group to the last Safe Room they entered.

Shiho was too dumbstruck to say anything. One moment, she was about to get their attention in the alleyway, the next, she was standing in a tropical forest on the outskirts of something straight out of a travel brochure. And now, she was alone, her only company having literally vanished into thin air. She shook her head, trying to get the confusion out of her mind. She had to focus. They said they'd be leaving from a hotel, so that's where she'd go. She'd get her answers, both to her original questions and the new ones that now filled her mind. With a fiery determination swelling up in her, she started to walk towards civilization, ignoring the welcome sign.

* * *

After the distortion in the Safe Room settled itself, the three left, and thankfully, the door in the hall remained unlocked. Fighting through the Shadows that stood in their way, they soon found themselves in the lobby of the hotel they were in. This time, they didn't bother to sneak through, Akechi's Persona and Yu's gun gave them a leg up over their enemies. The Shadows that patrolled the lobby surrounded the group. Five men with owl heads and owl wings on their backs began to simultaneously assault them with barrages of ice spells. Yu was careful not to have Incubus, as that was weak to ice. Summoning Izanagi, his persona went to work, battling two of owl-men while Morgana and Akechi handled the other three. Using his gun, he was able to stun them long enough to let up the unending attacks, giving Izanagi the opening to cut down one and use a lightning bolt to fry the other.

Yu looked over to the other two Tricksters. Akechi had Robin Hood launch an arrow to the one on the right, the sharp object puncturing the creature's throat and turning it to ash. Taking advantage of the opening, Akechi lept to the side, causing the two to split their attention. Morgana ordered Lady Trieu to cleave the one on the left and before the center could react, Yu launched another lightning bolt. The owl-man fell to the floor, still alive, and this time, it was the intruders that surrounded it, guns holstered and out of arm's reach. Yu decided to negotiate.

"The hell are you doing?" The Shadow asked.

"I want you to join my cause."

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"Because it means you get to live."

"Heh, as if. But you know sonny, if you're gonna kill me, think ya could grant me one last request?"

"No."

"Heh. That's cold sonny. But I'd do the-WAIT! I remember!"

The owl-man stood up and at attention.

"I am thou. Thou art I. From the Sea of Souls I cometh. I am Andras, and I shall lend you my strength." the now claimed Persona declared as he joined the other residence of Yu's heart. Suddenly, Yu felt a burst of energy spread across his chest, and there was a new word of power within him, a word whispered in Izanagi's voice. Tarukaja. It would appear that the more he fought, the more powerful he and his personas would become.

Yu smiled and gave a small wave, signaling for them to move forward, but quickly noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A golden chest on a pedestal. Turning and walking to it, he opened it slowly, expecting a trap, but instead saw a soft glow emerge from the cracked opening. Lifting the roof of the case completely, he saw that there were a few items in it. Stones, with a green heart on them and a gem with a small galaxy trapped inside.

"Oooooo, we got lucky. Three Life Stones and a Megido Bomb. Very nice."

"What does the Medigo Bomb do? I'm guessing the Life Stones heal us?"

"Correct Ace! The Medigo Bomb deals Almighty damage, the greatest kind of damage that can't be blocked or resisted. So this is an amazing find!"

"Alright then. Let's go. Other Shadows are bound to come here, and we need to start to infiltrate the second hotel." Yu ordered, stepping out into the outdoors. It was a good walk to the other hotel, but Morgana pulled out her whistle and summoned the Mona-mobile. Meanwhile, someone else was roaming the place.

* * *

Shiho still couldn't make heads or tails of this strange place. There were people in Shujin uniforms roaming around, but whenever she tried to talk to them, she'd get nowhere, their conversations with her and each other going on a loop forever. What was even stranger was the fact that Kobayakawa's face was everywhere, and non-stop propaganda with his voice could be heard for miles on end. Whatever this place was, it seemed to hold Kobayakawa in high regard, and that made Shiho sick to no end. Then she noticed something even stranger. There were two police officers here, but they had tar in the shape of heads hiding behind riot masks, with two red orbs where the eyes should be. Upon seeing these strange things, Shiho decided it would be best if she left. She didn't know anything about where she was, or what she was dealing with.

She turned around and bumped right into what she wanted to avoid. The monster dressed like a cop sounded as disturbing as it looked.

"Hello citizen. Are you lost?"

"Um, n-no, I'm just leaving."

"I hope you mean returning to your home. No one leaves Shujin Nation alive without our amazing President Kobayakawa's say-so."

"I'm sorry, what do you mean 'amazing'?" Shiho asked, disgust in her voice.

"He is the glorious man who took Shujin from a sorry village into the utopia you see now."

"Oh yea? And does he stomp all over students here too?"

"The citizens here are unruly, and require the benevolent Kobayakawa's hand to show them the way to maintaining Shujin's reputation. And he won't stop with just this resort. Once that troublesome rabble Akechi and his new acomplaces are removed, he will help expand Shujin's reputation across the seas. The world will be green with envy once our beloved President has had his appetite satiated."

Shiho did her best not to vomit at the officer's words. Kobayakawa wanted to go even further? He had driven her to almost attempting suicide in the name of Shujin, and he didn't feel an ounce of remorse. Instead, he decided to go even further, expanding Shujin's reputation to the point it was known across the world? And if he was going to go this far to make Shujin look the best in just Tokyo, who knows what damage he'd do to make Shujin renowned in the world.

"What a load of crap." She spat.

"What did you say citizen?"

"You heard me. Kobayakawa? Benevolent? Don't give me that rehearsed garbage. He doesn't offer a guided hand to suggest what path people should take, he offers a clenched fist to force them into a way of life that only benefits him."

"How dare you?!"

The officer gave her cheek a swift backhanded strike that drew blood from the impact. Shiho would have normally backed down after that, begged for forgiveness. But not this time. This time, she returned the slap, and struck with just as much force as the officer. The cop looked at her with contempt, and rubbed his jaw.

"Very well. It's now clear that you are a sympathizer of the rebel Akechi. For that, you will be punished."

"Go to hell." Was Shiho's retort, followed by a swift kick to the officer's groin. She then turned around to run, but much to her surprise, the kick didn't do anything to the cop, who swiftly forced her to the ground, snapping cuffs on her.

"Command, this is Unit 234. I have captured and detained a rebel sympathizer."

"Good work. We have had reports of intruders that have rampaged through the north hotel. All available units have been ordered to barricade and fortify the entrance of the south hotel to stop them once they arrive. Bring the sympathizer there. We can use them as bait."

"Understood. On your feet, scum."

* * *

Yu had managed to finish lockpicking a golden chest in one of the hotel rooms. The second hotel was far larger, and as a result, infiltration took longer. His plan to divert their attention worked perfectly. By tearing through the lobby, rather than sneaking through, he managed to get the security to focus their efforts on the other hotel. And since they thought he was the kind of person to go in guns blazing, they set up shop right at the entrance. Betting on the idea that the second building would have a vent like the first, his gamble paid off, and now, they were free to roam through the hotel. There were a few Shadows, but he and the other two were able to deal with them before they could cause a ruckus. He even got an angel and slime Persona out of it.

"What's inside Seeker?" Morgana asked, peering over his shoulder.

"Let me see. A piece of gum called 'Chewing Soul'. And… a few precious jewels.."

"If we can find a pawn shop, I'm sure we can earn a hefty sum for those." Akechi replied.

Yu pocketed the jewels, and turned to leave. They climbed up to the sixth floor, not running into anymore Shadows. Yu saw one of the doors start to simmer and melt before returning to normal. Entering, they felt the familiar weak distortion of a Safe Room.

"Alright, let's take a small break. How's everyone feeling?" Yu asked.

"I'm still good to go. How about you Carmen?" Akechi asked

"I'm doing fine as well. We should be only four floors away from the Marshal's room. After that, we can fly to Kobayakawa's island."

"What's our plan of infiltration there? Cognitive me said that the mansion's most protected door could only be unlocked by a key held by what I assume is Cognitive Morooka."

"We'll cross that bridge when we reach it. For now, let's get through this hotel. If there's nothing-" Yu was interrupted by the PA system blaring on.

"Attention rebel scum! This is the Marshal of the south hotel! We have one of your sympathizers at our mercy. Say your name, scum."

There was silence for a few moments before a slap was heard, followed by a grunt of pain.

"I said, speak your name!"

"Or what?"

There was another slap, louder this time, and it was a yelp, rather than a grunt, of pain.

"If you wish to see your sympathizer alive, turn yourself in at once. You have three hours to comply."

The three turned to each other.

"It looks like we have a new objective. Once we reach the Marshal, we get him to tell us where to find our 'sympathizer'. Let's hurry." Yu ordered.

The three left the Safe Room, and began to make their way up the floors. Thankfully, most of the Shadows were still downstairs, so they had no problems climbing up. Any obstacles like locked doors were circumvented, either by climbing outside like last time, or by crawling through the vents.

In no time, they found themselves standing outside the double doors that would lead them to the Marshal. Pulling out the medicine bottle he got yesterday, he passed a single pill to each of them. Thankfully, they didn't need any water, but the pill tasted almost as bad as the orange sludge in Shoichi's clinic. Almost. The rest of the team shared his distaste, with Morgana gagging and Akechi covering his mouth to keep him from vomiting the medicine up. But it did its work, Yu could feel the pain from previous battles starting to lessen.

"Everyone ready?"

"Always Seeker." Was Morgana's answer.

"I act on your orders." Was Akechi's.

They heard a scream of pain from the other side of the door, followed by muffled voices.

"Alright. Have your Personas ready, and no guns. We can't risk a stray bullet hitting whoever it is."

The others nodded in acknowledgement, and Yu delivered a swift kick to the door.

* * *

Shiho had just finished being tied up to a wall in a spread eagle, fresh bruises forming on her face from the recent slaps and a metal collar decorating her neck. The Marshal was bigger than the other cops, and was dressed in full military equipment. She already knew who the intruders were, and she knew that at least Akechi would try to save her. But would Morgana or Yu? True, both seemed nice, and they visited her in the hospital, but that didn't mean they'd be willing to risk their lives for her. The Marshal walked over to a screen and in a few moments, the face of the person she hated the most in this world appeared on it. While his eyes were a glowing yellow, it did nothing to abate the unease that came from their gaze.

"President Kobayakawa, I have captured a rebel sympathizer, and sent the message."

"Excellent. Once the rebels are dealt with, you may let her go."

"Sir, pardon me for questioning your wisdom, but I believe the law states that all rebel sympathizers are to be jailed or executed."

"True. But I have already broken this one. She is docile, and will cause no further problems once the rebels have been removed."

"Will she not become a rebel herself to avenge them?"

"No. Shiho is about as threatening as a hamster once you remind her of her place."

Shiho clenched her fist at the insult.

"Not only that, but she always waits for someone else to do something for her. She only works with the rebels because she's too pathetic to get what she wants herself."

"The same could be said about you, Mr. I-use-high-schoolers-to-do-my-dirty-work." Shiho retorted. The collar on her neck lit up and gave a loud hum, and she soon felt electricity surging through her every vein in her body. With an agonizing scream, she slumped as much as her binding would allow, smoke wafting off of her neck.

"See Marshal? Weak and pathetic once you remind her how low she is."

That was when the door burst open, and she looked up, both hopeful and scared. Standing in the doorway were Akechi, Morgana, and Yu, dressed like a prince, cat burglar, and a crime boss at a masquerade party, respectively. And she had to admit, Yu wore his outfit well.

"Ah, there you are. Come to turn yourselves in?"

"No. We're here to find and rescue- SHIHO?!" Akechi gasped.

"I'm sorry guys."

"Don't be. In fact, this saves us the trouble of having to look for you. Now, we don't have to hold back." Yu replied.

"Don't be so sure. Sitting around her neck is a shock collar. Very recently, I gave her a small dosage of what it's capable of. If you don't turn yourselves in right now, I will turn up the dosage to lethal levels."

The three looked at each other.

"No! Don't do it. You have to take him down, no matter what!" Shiho yelled, her energy returning, only to be stopped by another shock.

"Stop! Stop! We yield!" Yu said, putting up his hands.

"Haha, as I suspected. Marshal, you may fire when ready."

"NO! No, you can't! Don't give up just to save me! You have to take him down!" Shiho pleaded.

"Quiet!" the Marshal ordered, turning up the voltage for the next shock.

Something snapped inside Shiho at that moment.

"I. Will. **NOT**." Shiho's voice boomed, the pain from the shock collar barely registering for her as the sheer power of her voice forced everyone to stagger.

"I'm done being weak! I won't be the pathetic runt that everyone has to look out for! I will not be the reason you survive Kobayakawa! I will have my revenge, no matter what price I have to pay to get it!" Shiho yelled, her resolution almost palatable as the Marshal tried frantically to put her down with the collar. Then, there was a THUMP heard in the air.

Music: Awakening + willpower)

** At long last. You have finally decided to show your strength.**

Shiho let out a scream as her eyes turned yellow, but Akechi and Yu knew it wasn't from the electricity.

** No longer will you obey and squirm simply because you are told to do so. The rage, the power, that you have bottled up for so long, is finally ready to be unleashed. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. To achieve a goal, you must act.**

Shiho started to squirm, her arms and legs writhing in untold pain.

** Vengeance will not come to those who wait. If you wish to punish those who have wronged you, you will need a firm hand and a conviction of steel. You will need the power to save yourself. A power I can give you."**

"Whatever… it… takes." Shiho grunted out through a clenched jaw.

** Excellent. **

Suddenly, Shiho tore off her restraints, screaming like a madwoman.

** I am thou. Thou art I.**

With her newfound strength, Shiho grabbed the still active shock collar and tore it in two. As she did, there was a blinding flash of light. It vanished as suddenly as it appeared, and on Shiho's face was a roman emperor masquerade mask, its colors white and gold. Shiho grabbed and began to pull.

** The time to take control is now. Those who have used you will no longer have a say in your life. Those who have showed you no mercy will get none in return. From this moment forth, your power is yours alone, to be displayed for all to see. **

Shiho finished tearing the mask, a blue column of flames erupting at her feet.

** Now, use that power, and set the world on fire!**

"Oh, I intend to… **_Boudicca_**!" Shiho screamed as the flames vanished.

Shiho's clothes were gone, and in their place was a gladiator outfit. On her chest was an armored torso that was sculpted to accommodate her feminine figure, with a torn crimson cape held by one strap. The armor was decorated with cuts and burns with its crimson paint starting to fade. Around her waist, a torn red skirt with steel belts decorating it, and on her arms, steel bracers with broken steel chains wrapped around them. On her feet were leather sandals with spiked soles. Across her chest was a black sash with the words '_ violence begets violence _' written in red on it. Shiho clapped her hands, and grabbing into the fire, she pulled out a morning star flail.

Standing behind her was her Persona, Boudica. A woman standing on a pile of ash, with a wooden pole behind her. She wore a tattered, tan cloak that reached down to her knees and was torn from her collarbone to her midriff. Around her hands were loosely tied ropes that looked like they were used to restrain her, but were now torn in half. Dotting across her entire body, from her legs, arms, chest were several cuts, bruises and scars. On her face was a burn that took up her whole mouth, and her black hair was ragged, messy, and full of sweat, while on her neck was a rusted torc.

"Another one?! Marshal! Kill them! Kill them all!" Kobayakawa ordered before cutting the transmission. The Marshal transformed, as well as the other Shadows that were with him. In their place were a male angel with red wings and full armor, and by his side were two small men with long beards and holding two leaves bigger than themselves.

"I hope you're ready Kobayakawa. Once I'm done with these, I'm coming for you!"

"Well, someone's excited. Carmen, hit those guys with the beards!"

"On it! Garru!" Morgana yelled, only to have the green vortex barely affect the small men.

"Please, allow me. Agi!" Shiho commanded, and Boudica snapped her fingers in response.

Small explosions of fire knocked him off his feet, and she repeated the process with the other man. The archangel, however, was occupied with Akechi, who was trying to get a shot off, but found his arrows constantly deflected by the warrior's sword. The angel lifted his weapon, and two small arrows collided into Akechi, doing next to nothing. Yu summoned Izanagi and decided to put the new spell to the test.

"Tarukaja!"

Izanagi twirled his blade, and suddenly, Yu felt stronger, both mentally and physically. With newfound strength, he charged the archangel from behind, slashing three times with his katana before doing a backflip and shooting the archangel square in the face when it turned around. With all enemies on the ground, Yu gave the order.

"All-Out Attack! Show no mercy!"

The four leapt into the air like professional acrobats, the Shadows as good as gone. Once the smoke cleared, Yu looked to the fading corpse of the Marshal and saw a card lying on the floor. Picking it up, he saw 'code' written in bold print. Putting it in his pocket, he turned to Shiho.

"You alright?"

"You kidding? I've never felt more alive! Though, I have a lot of questions."

"I'm sure you do. But chances are Kobayakawa has ordered all those Shadows at the entrance to come up. We made sure to leave some of the doors locked, but we shouldn't tempt fate. Follow me." Yu ordered with a wave of his hand.

The group made their way into a Safe Room, Yu swiftly teleporting them out of there, and then to the real world. Back in relative safety, he turned to their latest addition.

"So… what do you want to know?" Yu asked her.


	18. Begin the Countdown

"And that's about it." Yu finished. He had explained everything to the novice Persona user, from Palaces, to Personas, to the fake guns.

"That's… wow."

"Yea."

"I mean, you guys…"

"Pretty much."

"I… I don't know what to say."

"Then I'll start." Yu said, prompting a raised eyebrow from Shiho.

"You now know what we're doing, and now, you have the same power as us. If you want, you can join us."

"What? Really?"

"Yes. It's going to be tough, so we can use all the help we can get."

"You even have to ask? Of course I'm in, so long as we make that bastard beg. When do we get back?" Shiho asked, slamming a fist into an open palm.

"Well, we can't do it tomorrow, lest we raise suspicions from Makoto." Yu pointed out.

"I agree. We'll have to pace ourselves if we are to succeed. I advise we continue on Sunday, assuming no one has plans." Akechi suggested.

"I have a kickboxing lesson with Sae-san, so I should be good after that."

"W-what? Y-you're going to have a kickboxing lesson with Sae-san?"

"Yea. Why do you make it sound like I'm knocking on death's door?"

"Because you are, Narukami-san. Sae-san is among the best, if not the best hand-to-hand combatant in the SIU. And that's because of how ruthless and surgical she is with defeating her opponents, on top of how much she fighting experience she has."

"I'm pretty sure that's an exagger-"

"The SIU Director, Tatsumi Azuma, uses Sae-san's instruction sessions as a threat."

"Well, have you yourself experienced-"

"Yes, I have. I had to leave work for two weeks in order to heal."

Yu let out a gulp.

"W-well, I'm sure that she'll go easy on me since she's my guardian, right?"

"Eeehhh…" was all Akechi could offer as he adjusted his tie.

"Well, that's just great. Oh, Shiho, take a few of these. I don't know what the dosage is, so just take once a day. Hopefully, they'll help you heal faster." Yu said, pouring about a handful of pills into her palm. She gave a nod of appreciation.

"So, what happens now?" Morgana asked.

"Right now, I say we focus on schoolwork. If my grades slip, Mokoto will get to decide how to spend my free time. Then we'll definitely won't be able to infiltrate the Palace."

"That makes since. Very well. For the next few days, we'll focus on our personal lives. Also, I recall Ushimaru-sensei saying he owed you a favor. Think you could perhaps get Morgana-san enrolled? In the third year class, so I can keep an eye on her." Akechi suggested.

"Hey! I don't need a babysitter!"

"I think it's a good idea. I'll talk to Ushimaru about it." Yu replied.

"... Fine. So long as it's Akechi." Morgana said.

"Now that that's settled, let's exchange contact info." Shiho suggested, holding out her phone.

After the exchange of contact info, the four went their separate ways, each steeling themselves for the many battles to come.

* * *

Yu woke to the sound of chains, and his eyes were greeted with familiar blue padding. Then he heard faint clapping and stood up from his bed. Standing before him were two smiling women in warden outfits and a long-nosed man.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, Trickster."

"I'm happy to see you have returned, inmate." Justine informed, though her voice didn't show any happiness.

"You had us worried there for a moment, inmate. We thought you'd be the first Wild Card to back out of their contract." Caroline added, though her warm smile betrayed her harsh tone.

"I am delighted to see you Trickster. It appears that not only have you overcome your crisis, but you've also made bonds with new Confidants. Even in doubt and uncertainty, you made progress on your rehabilitation. Well done." Igor congratulated.

"Thanks. About the Confidants, I always hear a voice say that there's a birth of an Arcana. What does it mean?"

"Ah. Each Confidant you establish is represented by an Arcana. Each Arcana is tied to their personality and fate."

"Am I an Arcana as well?"

"But of course."

"Really? Which one?"

"The Fool."

"...What? You saying I'm like an idiot?"

"The Fool is the number 0 in the Tarot deck. And like the number 0, it is empty, but holds limitless potential. For example, take the Justice Arcana, the number 8. Alone, 8 and 0 are not that remarkable, but together, they form 80, a far greater power than either were individually."

"Don't underestimate the Fool Arcana, inmate. It represents potential, creativity, and the beginning of a life-changing journey." Justine explained.

"People with the Fool Arcana are pretty much the jack-of-all trades, and hold infinite potential. If you want to tap into that potential, you'll have to work hard on your rehabilitation." Caroline continued.

"Alright. How many Arcana are there?"

"There are 22 in total, including the Confidants you've already established bonds with, and the Fool." Igor answered

"22. Holy shit."

"Remember, the year has only just begun. You have plenty of time to forge strong bonds." Igor reminded.

"Yea, but only if you have enough proficiency, charm, knowledge, guts, and kindness." Caroline added.

"Um… that's oddly specific."

Before either warden could reply, a bell rang, and Yu knew he'd have to return to the waking world soon enough. Lying down on his bed, he closed his eyes.

* * *

The next morning was almost completely without incident. There was another news report about an official suffering from a mental shutdown, but that's all there was. Lunch break had ended, and Kawakami was in the middle of a lecture. Then there was an announcement on the PA system, and the message filled him with dread.

"Yu Narukami, please report to the PE Office, Yu Narukami to the PE office."

There were murmurs among his peers, ranging from how he's going out of the school in a body bag, to calling him another casualty in Akechi's crusade. Yu marched to the office, like a prisoner on death row. This was the real world. If he wanted to survive, he'd have to heel. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

"Come in." Came the gruff reply.

Yu opened the door and came face-to-face with Kobayakawa himself. Alone and without Izanagi or any other Personas. And yet, despite his impressive physique, his malicious aura, and the piercing gaze, Yu didn't feel fear. Not anymore.

"Sit down." He ordered, and Yu numbly obeyed.

"Now, young man, I've heard that you've been a busy bee lately."

"I have to be, or else the stress really gets to me."

"And how exactly would that stress get to you?"

"I have a tendency of lashing out at total scumbags."

"Haha! Well, I hope for your sake, you don't consider me a scumbag. Because if you did, well… I might have to contact the police out of fear for my safety."

Yu narrowed his eyes, the spark of rebellion flashing behind him. Kobayakawa pulled out his phone, and sure enough, there it was. The picture of Yu holding his gun, with Akechi and Morgana looking at him. The picture that could end his second chance at life.

"I did as you said. Shiho won't implicate you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I do not know what Shiho would implicate me of, or why. But back to the issue of a dangerous juvenile delinquent being in possession of… this. I wish to see you succeed, doing so would be a boon to Shujin's renown. And because of that generosity, I'm willing to make a deal with you."

"One I can't refuse?"

"Only if you want to stay a free man. Now, it is most unfortunate that Akechi was mixed up in this terrible business because of you, but it is what it is. To keep him from throwing his future away, I'll have to intervene in his life for the rest of his time in Shujin, and probably for when he goes to college. A detective in my pocket will be very useful indeed. However, there's someone who would try to stop me. Someone you should be familiar with."

"Makoto."

"Correct."

"She isn't interested in fighting you. Not anymore."

"I don't believe you. Besides, with her grades and resume, she's bound to have a bright future. One that I intend to capitalize on for the benefit of Shujin."

"What do you want?"

"You know what I want, young man. You have two weeks to give me something I can chain Makoto with, or your probation officer sees this photo. Understood?"

"Yes." Yu said, getting up and leaving.

"Yes, what?"

"I already gave you my answer." Yu answered, opening the door.

"Defy me all you want. You'll fold, just like those before you." Kobayakawa foretold as Yu made his way back to homeroom.

* * *

Yu had finished texting his friends what happened, and got a variety of responses. Akechi said that it was only a matter of time before he was blackmailed, Morgana said this meant they had to work overtime with the Palace, and Shiho promised that she'd be ready when they need her. Yu rubbed his head. Two weeks. He was on a time limit, and he was going to spend the first three days of that time limit goofing off. He took in a deep breath as the bell rang, signaling the end of school. Packing up his things, Yu told Makoto he was heading out, and decided to try and focus on his studies. But as he was heading out, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw a slouching student with spiky hair dyed blonde.

"Ryuji? Is something wrong?"

"Nah, nothing's wrong. It's just… well…"

"What? Did Kobayakawa tell you to do something?"

"Nah. And even if he did, I sure as shit wouldn't do it. I mean, what else can he take from me? Family's living in a shithole without that much cash, I've been kicked off the track team, and I ain't that bright. So no chance of college for me."

"Don't think that way. You can do anything if you try hard enough. I could help, if you want. I was an honor student back home."

"Ah, don't worry about it. I'll just find some fast food place or some other place to work at. Besides, I may not have a future, but thanks to you, I'll still have one of my friends."

"It was nothing."

"That's a load of bullshit, and even I know it. But I also know just how to thank ya."

"Is that so?"

"Hell yea! I know the best ramen place in Tokyo." The spiky-haired boy exclaimed, leading the way through the thinning crowd of students. Onboard the subway, Yu had to admit, he was a little curious into how this blonde, foul-mouthed boy ticked. He seemed to care about Shiho, and have plenty of reasons to hate Kobayakawa. Yet, Yu felt like he was missing something, something important. This trip would be the perfect opportunity to satiate his curiosity. Arriving at the ramen shop, they saw a long line stretching all the way to the end of the alley.

"Wow, line's pretty short today." Ryuji told him, amazed.

_ Of course this is its version of short. _

"How long is it usually?"

"Let's just say that if it was it's usual longness, we'd be here till midnight."

"Seriously?"

"Yea. I wasn't kidding when I said it was the best ramen place in Tokyo. Now, let's get in line. Trust me, it'll be worth it." Ryuji promised, dragging him and Yu into line. It took a few hours, but they were eventually seated, and were served in minutes. Yu put the noodles into his mouth, and had to stop himself so that he could fully appreciate the delicious flavor. He let out a groan of appreciation and heard Ryuji chuckle.

"Everyone got that response when they eat here."

"Ryuji, 'best ramen in Tokyo' doesn't do this place justice." Yu replied as the spiky-haired delinquent started on his own bowl of noodles. Within minutes, both boys had completely devoured the food, even drinking the broth. Ryuji let out a loud burp, and if he noticed the other guests' looks, he paid them no mind.

"Ryuji, why'd you ask me here?" Yu questioned.

"Huh? Thought I told ya, it was-"

"No, that was an excuse. Why did you really want to talk to me?"

"Heh. Guess Akechi's smarts must be rubbing off on ya. I heard ya get called to that bastard's office. That can only mean he's finally got his effin' hooks in ya. I want ya to know, no matter how much shit everyone else gives ya for whatever he's gonna make you do, you've got me in your corner."

Yu smiled, and felt like Ryuji was a person he could count on.

_I am thou. Thou art I _

_Thou hast acquired a new vow. _

_It shall become the wings of rebellion that will lead thee to the truth _

_With the birth of the _**_Chariot_**_Arcana, _

_Thou hast obtained the blessing that will grant thee new power. _

"Thanks Ryuji. It means a lot to hear that."

"No problem. I know how it feels to be treated like a sack of shit."

"One more bowl?"

"Hell yea! This is all on me!" Ryuji said, not trying to hide his wide smile.

Yu and Ryuji had a mini eating contest with the ramen. After a good few hours, and thoroughly draining Ryuji's wallet, Yu checked the time, and saw it was high time to get back to the apartment. Thanking Ryuji for the huge weight gain, Yu headed back home.

* * *

On the way back home, Yu suddenly remembered something. Shiho was now officially a member of their little group, but she didn't have a gun like the rest of them. Deciding to correct this, he decided to make a detour to a police station. Texting Shiho what gun she wanted, she replied to next time ask her over a call instead of a text because she didn't want someone reading the messages while she slept. She then answered by telling him to buy whatever he felt was best for her. Armed with this knowledge, Yu entered the police station, and when he made eye contact with the fat receptionist, the cop smirked.

"Heh, didn't expect to see you back so soon kid." Kaneshiro greeted, wolfing down a whole donut in one bite.

"I need a model SMG."

"An SMG? Oh, you'll have plenty of variety to choose from."

"I got a few precious stones."

"That it? You gotta offer something better kid."

Yu fished into his pockets and pulled out the small pouch full of rubies, sapphires, and jades. Kaneshiro examined each and every one of them. After he finished with the last one, he looked at Yu and smiled.

"Heh, well, well. Where'd you get these?"

"Does it matter?"

"Heh. Guess not. I'll take them for… 30,000 yen."

Yu was about to accept the deal, but he felt he had enough guts to try and haggle.

"Make it 35,000."

"Hahaha! You got balls kid. Here you are, on probation, and you're bargaining with a cop?"

"No, I'm bargaining with _you_."

"Awww, so this badge doesn't exist when I'm talking to you?"

"On people like you, it's just a piece of tin. On people like my father, it means something."

"Bwahaha! Oh, that is rich. But you're right about one thing, it is just a piece of tin. But we can argue about that kind of shit later. Right now, I believe you have an order you'd like to place." Kaneshiro reminded, leading him the way to the display room.

"Alright. Pick your-"

Suddenly, the both heard the front door open, followed by the clacking of heels, and a woman's voice demanding to see Kaneshiro. The cop's face took a grim expression. Kaneshiro simply held a hand up, and Yu understood that he was to stay behind. But staying behind didn't mean that he couldn't watch. His curiosity was piqued. Sending out Izanagi, Yu was able to get a clear view of the conversation. Kaneshiro was arguing with a woman, one who had short, chestnut hair tied up in a much too tight bun, and her face was caked with mascara, lip gloss, and other forms of makeup.

"The hell do you want, bitch?" Kaneshiro's voice echoed.

"I want what you owe me." The woman replied.

"I owe you a punch to the jaw."

"Now now now. You remember what happened last time you tried something like that."

"You had it coming then too."

"Is that any way to treat a lady?"

"No, it's not. So it's a good thing you ain't a lady."

"Excuse me?"

"Listen bitch, my shift is gonna end in a bit. So you can take your fanny ass and walk right out. Unless there's a crime you'd like to report."

"The only crime there is, is your horrid manners."

The sound of heels left, followed by a hefty sigh from Kaneshiro. Yu picked up the first weapon he saw, and decided to leave his hiding spot. Kaneshiro looked at Yu as he approached, and rubbed his temples.

"How much did you hear?"

"Pretty much all of it."

"Heh. At least she didn't see you. Now, did you pick something out?"

"I did." Yu answered, showing the SMG to the cop, who simply smiled.

"An MP5? That's an expensive piece kid. I'm not sure you can afford it with just these rocks." Kaneshiro lamented with fake sorrow.

"You want me to help you deal with your lady problem." Yu cut right to the point.

"Heh, there's that Narukami intuition. Yea. Given how you were able to get your hands on these, I'd say that you're a resourceful man. The best kind of man to have when you need something done." Kaneshiro thought out loud, gesturing to the jewels in his hand.

"The jewels could be fake."

"Nah. You wouldn't risk pissing off a cop with contraband. Besides, I'm the only guy who could supply you with weapons, so you'd lose a lot if you screwed me over. So, here's the deal. You give me a hand once in awhile, and I give you a discount. Sound good?"

"I feel like I don't have a choice."

"Look kid, this whole business will just be easier with you helping out. You don't want to get involved? Fine, you can pay full price. But this'll be the only time I'll make the offer. Back out now, and you won't know what that talk was all about." Kaneshiro informed, smirking.

Yu felt his eye twitch. Kaneshiro may be a fat, corrupt thug, but if he was smart enough to figure out Yu's curiosity would always get the best of him, then he was not to be taken lightly. Yu crossed his arms.

"If I'm going to help you, I'm gonna need information."

"That's on a need-to-know basis. For now, we'll start at a ten percent discount. You in?"

Yu took in a deep breath.

"Fine."

"Perfect. Here's to a healthy partnership." Kaneshiro said, extending his hand. Yu shook it with disgust.

_I am thou. Thou art I. _

_Thou has acquired a new vow. _

_It will become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth. _

_With the birth of the _**_Devil_**_Arcana, _

_Thou hast obtained the blessing that will lead thee to new power. _

"Alright. You got the gun right? Then head on out. I'll call you when I need you." Kaneshiro ordered as Yu stuffed the model weapon into his school bag. Leaving the police station, Yu was able to smuggle it into the apartment, and texted Shiho where she could find it. After she replied, he stashed it in the closet, and went to bed, the thoughts of the.


	19. Human Relations

The Saturday school day went without much incidents, but Kobayakawa's threat still lingered in the back of Yu's mind. They had less than two weeks to give him a change of heart, or else his life would be over. He told his team members that they would resume infiltration on Monday, but Akechi told Yu that he would most likely have to take Monday off if he still planned on going to Sae's kickboxing. Yu told him it would be fine, while Akechi told him it would not be fine. Their arguing was broken up with a single text from Morgana.

Morgana: I'm bored. Can any of you guys show me around?

Yu: Akechi?

Akechi: Sorry. Sae-san needs help with a case today.

Yu: Shiho?

Shiho: Still healing. Shoichi's meds have been a lot of help, but the docs still want to keep me locked up for today.

Morgana: Oh come on! You were just fine when you first entered the Metaverse!

Shiho: I know, but the docs don't want me out. I'm sorry Morgana.

Yu: I'll go. Don't have anything planned.

Morgana: Alright! Wild Card to the rescue!

Yu: Meet me outside school.

Morgana: Going there now.

Yu sat outside the school gates until he heard his name being called. Looking over, he saw Morgana strutting over to him. Unlike before, she was dressed in a black sundress with several yellow cat faces printed on it, high-heel leather boots that went up to her knees, with a purse that had a cat paw stitched in. The final touch was the scarf that covered up her collarbone, and her 'V' belt secure around her waist.

"Oh Yu! I'm ready!" She squealed like a spoiled schoolgirl.

"Hello yourself, Morgana. Where do you want to go?"

"Hmmmmmm… how about a diner Akechi told me about? He said that it serves something called sushi."

"Sushi? Alright. Do you know where it is?"

"Yup! Akechi showed me the way, but no one was inside when we got there. Akechi said it was because the place was 'closed', even though the door wasn't boarded up or anything. But it should be open now! All I need is what you humans call money!"

"Oh, so that's why you wanted someone."

"Heheh. Yea, sorry. But, look at this way, you get to make sure I don't embarrass myself." Morgana suggested.

"Yea, better I come with you so we don't get any complications from you getting arrested." Yu agreed.

"That's the spirit! Follow me! I know the way."

* * *

Morgana did not, in fact, know the way. At least, not from school. After getting lost for a whole hour, they had to backpedal to school, then head to Akechi's appartement, _then _go to the sushi place. Thankfully, most of the customers were clearing out by the time they arrived, so they were able to place their orders. While they were waiting, Yu knew that Morgana looked like a tourist with all of her 'Oohh's and 'Aahh's at everything. And, to be fair, she technically was.

"Is this what all food providing places look like?"

"No. This place is called a sit-down restaurant. Different places serve different foods."

"Oh, then that explains why Akechi wanted to go to the… oh, what did he call it… 'American Diner', I think. He said they served something called pancakes."

"Pancakes, huh? Didn't know Akechi liked those."

"What are they like?"

"Well, they're very different from sushi, that's for sure."

"Well, in that case, I'd like to try it some time. What else is there in the way of restaurants?"

Before the two could continue their discussion, the chef came by with their meals. While Yu ordered regular sushi, Morgana ordered everything on the menu, and her food came in on various plates. Yu knew he would have to spend his life savings this time for sure. He ate his sushi casually, but when Morgana tried her first piece, she froze. For a moment, Yu was worried that she didn't like it, and all that money would go to waste. But instead, she grabbed the plate and started to wolf it all down her throat like there was no tomorrow. Yu let out a gasp and quickly stopped her, but the damage was already done. He could hear everyone around them mutter to themselves how disrespectful the foreign girl was. Yu rubbed his eyes, expecting the shop owner to kick them out, but instead, he simply laughed.

"Haha! You love sushi that much girl?"

"Yush sher!"

"HAHA! Well, in that case, please, try not to kill yourself with that much. I'd hate to lose such a valuable customer."

The man returned to his work, and the two resumed eating, ignoring the small glares sent their way. Yu was afraid that Morgana wouldn't be able to finish what she had, but to his surprise, she was going strong long after he himself finished his food. Once she put in the final bite and washed it down, she let out a burp so loud and obnoxious, one could be forgiven for thinking it was a sound effect for a text or whatnot. The other customers shot looks, but Morgana was not fazed in the slightest, so Yu was embarrassed for her. The chef came over, taking the loud and sudden noise as his cue.

"Well god damn, you actually managed to eat it all lady! You want anything else?"

Morgana opened her mouth, but whatever she was going to say got cut off by Yu.

"No, we will not. Could we have the check now, please?"

"Sure sure. One minute."

_ This is going to bankrupt me. _

The man returned with the bill, and as Yu suspected, this time he would have to cough up all of his money to pay. But when he handed the cash to the chef, he saw Morgana's puzzled look.

"Wait, that's money?"

"Yea, it is."

"But… it's paper."

"Yea, it is." Yu repeated.

"Why is it paper? I thought money would be something that could actually be useful."

"Money is useful."

"It's paper. Paper can't be eaten, or used as a weapon. It's flimsy, is destroyed easily, and-"

Morgana let out a gasp, like she came to a sudden realization.

"Paper makes excellent kindling! Is money used to keep someone warm?"

"What? No."

"T-Then… what's the purpose of money? It's completely worthless."

"That's not true. Some money comes in the form of coins."

"Ahhh, and coins come in the form of metal. And since humans grow in number, but metal doesn't, the paper is meant to be a substitute. I see now."

"Correct. Hey, shouldn't you know this already? I mean, you already know movies, since you thought Akechi was evil just because of his eye color."

"Movies? What are those? I just thought he was evil because Shadows also have red eyes."

"Oh."

The chef returned with the receipt. Yu took it and thanked the man for his hospitality, and when they got out of the restaurant, Morgana stretched and licked her lips, followed by a belch. She turned to regard Yu, a huge smile on her face.

"This was all kinds of fun Yu! Thanks for taking me here!"

"I'm glad you liked it."

"I wonder: If this is where humans go to feed, I wonder what other aspects of human life are like. Like those things you called movies!"

"Well, I'll be happy to show you, but not today. Today, I need to head back. If you want to head to somewhere else, then I advise you take Akechi with you."

"Yea, ok. I'd prefer you, but if you can't take me, then hey, nothing I can do. Thanks again Yu!" Morgana thanked as she turned around and started to run back to Akechi's apartment.

_I am thou. Thou art I. _

_Thou hast acquired a new vow. _

_It shall become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth. _

_With the birth of the _**_Magician_**_Arcana, _

_Thou hast obtained the blessing that will grant thee new power. _

* * *

Yu had returned to his room and decided to study, which lead to an increase in his knowledge. As soon as he finished, his cell phone began to ring. Examining the number, he smiled.

"Hi dad." Yu greeted with a smile.

"Hey son. How's my favorite son doing?"

"Your only son is doing fine. I've made a few friends here."

"I'm glad to hear that. How are Sae and Makoto treating you?"

"They've been very considerate. I have to be back by 9, and write in a probation diary, but I'll manage."

"I see. I'm glad you're doing well. Nanako told me you called."

"Yea, I did. Speaking of that, I heard that you've taken someone in."

"Ah, right. Minato Arisato. Apparently, his parents died, and he was sent to live with his godfather since then. And that godfather just so happened to be married to your aunt."

"So… he's my cousin?"

"In name only. He doesn't have Narukami blood in him."

"How's he been treating you? When I talked to him, he seemed like a stuck up prick."

"WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!" Dojima ordered so loudly Yu had to pull the phone back.

"Sorry dad." Yu apologized after a few seconds.

"Yea, yea. Back to your question… yea, Minato can be… blunt sometimes, but so far, I haven't seen any malice from him. He's been around Nanako plenty of times, and she's only seemed happier afterwords."

"Huh, interesting. So what have you been up to?"

"There's been a serial murder case. But don't worry, I'll have the perp behind bars before you come back."

"A serial killer? Is everyone safe?"

"He's only struck twice, but so far, no one close to you has been hurt."

"I'm glad to hear it. How have my work places been faring?"

"Well… the kids at the daycare miss you, the hospital's been more filthy since you left, and Shu Nakujima's grades have started slipping since you stopped tutoring him, or at least according to his mother."

"What about Yosuke?"

"He… he's been better, if I'm honest. When you were around, he was just an outcast, but now, he's straight up hated because he was your friend. People give him the silent treatment, push and shove him whenever they walk side-by-side, and some restaurants straight up refuse to serve him."

"Wow. I figured it would be bad, but that's on another level."

"Yea. But Minato's been nice to him at least. Or rather, his version of nice."

"I'm glad not everyone treats him bad. What's Minato like?"

"He's… he's honest. And quiet."

"Describe 'honest'."

"I once cooked for him-"

"Oh dear God."

"And he said that I should be arrested for testing chemical warfare on a civilian."

Yu let out a hearty laugh, and Dojima joined in shortly after. They both knew that Dojima couldn't cook, relying on his wife for food, and after she passed away, it fell on Yu. Once, Dojima tried to cook to show his son that he was grateful for everything Yu did for him. The result was Yu needing to have his stomach pumped so he wouldn't die of food poisoning. After the two had calmed down, Dojima spoke again.

"How about you, son? Anything interesting happen?"

"I've befriended Goro Akechi. _The _Goro Akechi."

"Wait, really? I've met him. He asked me to sign his pea coat, said I was the reason that he joined the police to begin with. Didn't think you'd manage to befriend someone famous."

"I managed to get a date with Rise Kujikawa."

"That's different."

Yu heard a voice that sounded suspiciously like Minato's in the background, and Dojima regarded his son shortly after.

"Look Yu, I have to go. Keep doing what you're doing."

"Alright dad. I love you."

"Love you too, son. Make me proud."

The line went dead, and Yu hung up as well. Then he heard it buzz and saw a text from none other than Akechi himself.

Akechi: Excuse me for bothering you so late an hour, Narukami-san, I just wanted to say thank you for indulging in Morgana-san's desires.

Yu: It's no problem Akechi. And word of advise; if she wants to go somewhere, go with her. And be prepared to keep her in eyesight.

Akechi: She told me about the restaurant. Her wolfing down sushi sounds like a humorous sight. And you can bet some students caught wind of that and will no doubt bring it up at school.

Yu: Great. Just great.

Akechi: Yes…

Yu: Akechi, what's the real reason you wanted to talk to me?

Akechi: It's about your training session tomorrow with Sae-san.

Yu: I thought we settled this.'

Akechi: I'm still worried about you. Especially since you're our leader, and the success of our infiltration is dependant on your health.'

Yu: Well, stop worrying. I'll be fine.'

Akechi: I doubt it.'

Yu: Look, even if I do get beaten to a pulp, I still have a few personas that can heal, not to mention Shoichi's meds. Don't worry, we'll steal Kobayakawa's heart before the deadline.

Akechi: I hope you're right. I have to go now, Morgana's adamant about me going to bed.

Yu: Hehe. Good night.

Akechi: Good night.

Before Yu went to bed for the night, he decided to get some studying done. He felt his knowledge increase afterwords.


	20. Digging up the past

Yu woke up early for today. It was finally here, the day where Sae would give some instruction on kickboxing, an instance that was feared across all in the SIU. Standing outside the SIU building with a bag containing his workout clothes, Yu took a deep breath and went in. After finding and talking to the receptionist, he was able to get directions to the training gym. He heard a 'Class dismissed' from inside, and the doors opened up, revealing several officers dressed in gym clothes march out, covered in bruises. There were various groans of pain as Yu let them by. Inside, he saw various workout machines, punching bags, and in the center was a ring. The sole occupant of that ring was Sae Niijima, who was leaning against the ropes.

Sae was not dressed in her usual black suit, but dark black short shorts and a dark black sports bra to match. On her hands were boxing gloves and wrapped around her feet were bandages, like they were ripped straight out of a fighting game. But dangling delicately around her neck was the same section sign necklace. With her midriff exposed, Yu could see her chest area was toned and chiseled with a six-pack, and her arm and leg muscles were pronounced and clear to see, the product of years of hard work. Her silver locks were no longer parted to the left, but tied up behind in a loose ponytail drooping down. Sweat glistened on her body, matted her hair, and dampened her clothes. Her ruby eyes landed on Yu, and she gave a faint smile.

"Ah, good morning Narukami. I hope you found your way here alright."

"Yea I did. Seemed I missed the instruction."

"Well, you're a beginner, and you volunteered for this, so I figured I'd give you the special treatment."

_ Hehehe. That's what she said. _

"Now, get changed, and we'll begin the lesson."

Yu went to the locker room and emerged changed into a pair of grey sports pants and a plain white tank top. As he got into the ring, he noticed that Sae examined him thoroughly, sizing him up.

"Alright, let's start with the basics. Form a fist."

Yu did as he was told, making sure to keep his thumb outside.

"Very good. Now, I'm not going to teach you how to win tournaments or the Olympics. I'm going to teach you how to survive. The top three mistakes most people make in a street fight are: One; they assume it's going to be a fair fight, never assume that they don't have a weapon, or that they don't have friends. Your job is to get back home to your family, so you have to do whatever it takes to make it back alive. Two; they let their opponent know that they want to fight, which gives the opponent a huge advantage, so if you're about to fight someone who's completely calm, not nervous at all in body language, either run or exercise extreme caution. Three; they underestimate how much time and space they have to land an attack. I'll show you what I mean."

"Got it."

"Now, when it comes to boxing, kick or otherwise, all of the power comes from the hips."

To demonstrate, Sae put one leg back, and Yu's eyes were drawn to her hips. It was then he really started to appreciate her figure. Years of what he can only assume to be training and working for the greatest criminal investigation units in Japan had sculpted her beautifully. Her smooth skin and fair complexion complemented her body to the point she looked like something out of a model magazine, and that beauty was only further added by her silky silver hair and red wine eyes. Yu's mind started to wander, wondering if she has a boyfriend. With a body like that, even if she hid it underneath a business suit, would attract all kinds of men. Then Yu's mind jumped to sudden questions. Did she have a boyfriend? An ex?

"NARUKAMI!"

Yu snapped out of it and realized that he had been staring at Sae's posterior this entire time. He dared to make eye contact and saw and accusatory stare greet him. His guardian cocked an eyebrow.

"Now, if you'd pick your jaw off the floor, we can continue."

"Yes Sae-san. Sorry Sae-san."

"Now, where did I lose you?"

"All power comes from the hips." Yu answered, trying not to make a saucy joke from that.

"Well then, allow me to explain."

Sae explained the intricacies of kickboxing, from the different kinds of kickboxers there were, to the training exercises Yu could do in his free time, to showing him actual moves. For a good few hours they did exercises and practicing moves. Eventually, Sae decided to take a break, and the two of them slumped against a wall, sweat drenching their clothes and coating their skin. After Yu began to drink some water, he decided it was time to try and get to know Sae better.

"H-hey Sae-san?"

"What is it Narukami?"

"If you work as a prosecutor, and if that's a desk job, why do you practice kickboxing?"

A sly smirk formed on Sae's lips.

"That's a good question. I want to say it's because, since I deal mostly with wealthy criminals, it's for self-defense against their goons that try to shut me up, but that's not the truth. The truth is that, before he died, my father started to teach me kickboxing to defend myself. After we were left to fend for ourselves, I continued taking them to protect myself and Makoto. It's one of the few things left I have from him."

"Is your father also why you became a prosecutor?"

Sae looked off in a distance, a forlorn look in her eyes.

"Yes. I wanted to make him proud, to be worthy of the Niijima name."

"I know what that's like. To have people expect you to be flawless simply because your the descendant of someone great. To have high expectations placed on you because of your name. And the consequences of failing those expectations."

"Heh, I can imagine. You know, I worked with your father a few times."

"I imagine the first meeting was awkward."

"Only a little. We managed to power through it by focusing on the case."

"What case was it?"

"Drug and human trafficking. Nothing unusual. But we found out one of the victims was supposed to be you, as leverage on Dojima."

"I think I remember those guys. I remember they tried to grab me when I went to the shopping district. Probably would have grabbed me if it wasn't for Yosuke."

"Who?"

"He's a friend. Or rather, was a friend. He's the son of a manager at a local Junes store. It's running all the local stores out of business, so people always gave him the cold shoulder, or were nice to him because they wanted a discount. We became friends after I pulled him out of a trash can."

Sae let out a soft giggle, but her expression slowly turned grim.

"I take it he abandoned you after your arrest?"

"Pretty much. He told me to never talk to him again. Everyone minus Nanako and dad hate me back home. Even after everything I did for them."

"Like I said, everyone has gratitude, but when push comes to shove, people will always choose their own hides over sticking their necks out."

"I don't believe that."

"Even with the evidence you've gotten first-hand?"

"Dad and Nanako stood up for me."

Sae let out a mocking laugh at the statement.

"If they didn't, you'd be better off living without them. Family is the only group of people that _should _stick together, no matter what."

"Now that, I agree with."

There was a small silence between the two, and Sae turned to Yu, a solemn look on her face.

"Narukami, why did you agree to let me teach you kickboxing?"

"I want to get to know you better Sae-san. Especially since you're going to be my officer for a year."

"Want to get on my good side so that you can slide whenever you screw up?"

Yu pulled his head back and recoiled from the sudden spite. Sae cast her eyes down a grimace on her face, before looking back with a softer look.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. I have to keep reminding myself about our deal."

"Why do you do that? Always jump to the worst conclusions?"

"Honestly? It's because of how long I've been forced to provide for my sister and I in this back-breaking, dead-end slave job. If you aren't smart, trust your gut, and have a realistic outlook on life, you'll end up a hobo in no time. And if you were a woman forced into _that _position, the only alternative would be prostitution, and my dignity is one of the few things I haven't had to sacrifice to survive."

"I understand. If it makes you feel any better, I've had to fend for myself and my sister too."

"I know. I'm sorry about your mother. Great, now I feel even worse for snapping at you."

"That was then. We're past that."

"I'm glad you think that. How has school been, considering your record was leaked?"

"Well, believe it or not, I've made a few friends outside of Makoto and Akechi."

"So I've heard. Well done on stopping that girl from jumping. You could join the police force after you've graduated. Be a hostage negotiator."

"Thanks, but… I'm still getting flashbacks to when I was arrested."

"Right. Dojima never told me the details."

"He said that I should tell you myself if I feel comfortable."

"And, are you comfortable? If you aren't, then I won't pry."

"No. Maybe if I tell you, then the two of us will understand each other. That's the whole reason I came here to begin with."

"Alright. In that case, I'm ready whenever you are."

Yu nodded and took in a deep breath. Yu recalled the night he was arrested, and took a deep breath to steal himself. He told her of how he heard someone crying desperately out for help. He recounted how he was expelled and ostracized for being a good person. He regaled Sae with the rigged trial, his suicide attempt, and the ferocity of his father. It took some time, and more than a great deal of effort, but he was able to tell it start to finish without breaking down. When he was finished, Sae had a mixture of guilt and anger in her ruby eyes. She took a deep breath and spoke.

"I… I'm sorry to hear that. If I had known those events had such a devastating impact on you, I would've been a lot more… gentle during our first meeting."

"It's alright Sae-san. You at least admit when you've done something wrong, and work to undo it. Which is more than I can say for some."

"You're too kind."

Sae wiped her brow and took a swig of water, and Yu noticed something.

"Hey, are you alright? You got serious bags under your eyes."

"Yes, I am, thank you. Sadly I don't get a lot of free time. Most of the time, I have to go to bed around 11 and wake up at 7."

"That can't be healthy. How do you power through?"

"Lots and lots of coffee. Specifically the kind from a little cafe in Yongen."

"Cafe Leblanc?"

"Yes, exactly. Have you been?"

"Once. Throat was a little too dry."

"I see. Charming little place, isn't it?"

"Yea, I can see why it's so popular. Why don't you go there to work on… well, work?"

"Because it often closes by the time I get out. Besides, I take what time I can to see Makoto."

"She wants to help, you know."

"I… I know. It's just…"

Sae let out an exasperated sigh and once again rubbed her temples.

"I'm supposed to be her guardian. I can't have her distract herself with my troubles."

"I thought the same thing when dad was in a coma. I tried to take care of 'Nako, keep three jobs, and maintain my grades. I pushed away everyone who wanted to help, because I didn't want to burden them with what I thought were petty problems. I almost destroyed myself because of it. So I'll tell you what they told me. You may be Makoto's guardian, but you're also her family."

Sae looked down. This may have been the first time she was the one getting a lecture.

"And your family isn't a petty problem. Let them help you when they offer. If you don't, you'll keep going until you break. Then who's going to protect them?"

Sae let out a heavy sigh, and turned to regard Yu.

"Alright, I'll cut you a deal. Using what I've taught you, I want you to spar with me. If you manage to beat me, I'll take some time off to spend with you and Makoto. But if you lose, you'll have to do my paperwork for me. And don't worry, I'll go easy on you, since you're a beginner."

"Deal." Yu replied without any hesitation.

Sae stood to her full height and looked down on Yu. Her lips turned into a smirk, one of ice and malice, like a lion eyeing deer. She offered a hand to help him up, and he took it. The two grabbed the gear, got into the ring, and took up positions. Yu was sure that it would be fine.

* * *

It wasn't fine. It wasn't fine at all. Yu had just been launched into the ropes by another punch from Sae, which this time hit him square in the ribs. As he hit the edges of the ring and the ropes supported him, he slumped to the floor, exhausted. This was round three. In round two, his jaw almost came loose, and in round one, he got a black eye. Yu seriously doubted that this was her going easy, because, if it was, he was the emperor of China. Rubbing his now black eye, he saw Sae get a towel and sling over her shoulder, and he couldn't believe just how amazing she looked, even though she must be completely exhausted. She extended her hand and began to talk to him.

"Not bad Narukami. Not bad at all. You need to keep up your guard on your left, but if you keep at it, you might be a challenge to even me."

_That's load of crap, and you know it!_

"Akechi told me that training with you is considered punishment in the SIU. Now I know why." Yu grunted as he took her hand and stood up. Sae let out a soft laugh.

"I admit, I do get… carried away. Guess I have a lot of pent up anger from work."

"Speaking of work, guess you'll have to show me how to do my new job."

"True. Let's get changed, and I can show you to my office."

Yu went into the locker room and started taking off his shirt. He winced as new pain flared through his body, the bruises starting to become visible. Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out Shoichi's pills and gulped one down, powering through the vile taste. He made a mental note to pick up more seeing how low he was getting. With the aching starting to subside, he got dressed in his regular clothes and walked out. Shortly after, Sae stepped out of her side, dressed in her black suit, her hair neatly parted to one side. If it wasn't for the fact that he got mauled earlier, along with the fact that her hair was wet, he would never had thought she had been in a fight. She tossed him a water bottle, and he chugged it eagerly. The two made way to the higher floors, and when they reached the one Sae worked on, Yu was expecting it to be quiet with only maybe a few phone calls to break up the tranquility. But it wasn't tranquil. At all.

This place's people were acting like a bomb went off. There was yelling, frantic shoving, people trying to move stacks of paper without being pushed, and failing. It must be a nightmare to work here. But the moment people noticed that Sae was here, the chaos seemed to just evaporate. As she walked, any bystander watching would swear that she was a military colonel by how the others reacted. People looked at her with both fear and awe, tried their best to force themselves out of her way, and whenever they made eye contact with her, they, would quickly break it and stare at their desk. Suddenly, Yu felt like he was back in Shujin Nation.

"Ah, good evening Sae-san. It's unusual for you to come back so late. Did a recruit get lucky?' A pleasant voice asked, and Yu was relieved to see Akechi.

"No, but you will have a rookie to show the ropes to. Someone you're familiar with." Sae answered, gesturing to Yu.

"Narukami-san? You actually went through with the sparring practice." Akechi said.

"You sound surprised."

Akechi reached out and grabbed Yu's jaw, forcing it open and examining it.

"Well, you still have all of your teeth, so I'm guessing Sae-san went easy on you."

Yu let out an involuntary shiver at the mental image of himself if Sae didn't hold back. The three made their way over to Sae's desk.

"Now Akechi, Narukami and I made a bet before we spared, and now he will help you with being my assistant."

"Is he getting paid for that?"

"No. He made a bet with me and lost. Besides, if I had to pay you and him, there'd be almost nothing left of my paycheck."

"I see. Will he be starting today?"

"No. Next Sunday however, I expect you to work hard, understood?"

"Understood."

"Good to hear. Now, head back home and try to get some rest." Sae ordered, and Yu nodded in agreement. As he was about to head out, he heard Sae call out to him.

"And Narukami."

"Yes Sae-san?"

"Thanks for the spar. You've given me a lot to think about."

"Anytime Sae."

_I am thou. Thou art I. _

_Thou hast acquired a new vow. _

_It shall become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth. _

_With the birth of the _**_Judgement_**_Arcana, _

_Thou hast obtained the blessing that will grant thee new power. _

* * *

Yu smiled as he walked down the stairs. He may have a few bruises, and is now a legal slave to his probation officer, but at least he accomplished what he set out to do. He felt like he got an increase in guts thanks to that match with her. He smiled and made his way back to the apartment.

After working on some lockpicks to increase his proficiency, he got a text from Akechi. It was about four in the afternoon.

Akechi: 'Narukami-san, think you could come over to the SIU? Sae-san has gone to run some errands, and I think I should get to work on teaching you how your new job works.'

Yu: 'Sure. I think I could impress Sae-san.'

Yu grabbed his key, his phone, and walked to the train station, Akechi sent him another text.

Akechi: 'I'll get started on some of it while I wait. How long until you get here?'

Yu: 'about 5 minutes.'

Akechi: 'Understood. I'll be waiting.'

By now, Yu had arrived back to the SIU building, and walked up to Akechi's desk, and the detective looked up to him with a warm smile, and a fat stack of paperwork.

"There you are Narukami-san. Let's get to work, shall we?"

Yu gave a nod, and the two went to work, Akechi showing the rookie the ropes to slaying the vile stacks of paperwork.

* * *

Hours had gone by, and with two pairs of hands, the paperwork laid in different stacks, and according to Akechi, such as task would have usually taken six hours. They got it done in two. Leaning back with a heavy sigh, Akechi spoke. Or rather, his stomach spoke for him with a low growl. Yu's own stomach responded with an even louder growl, as if the two digestive systems were having a hunger contest.

"I take it you haven't eaten either?" Akechi asked. Yu simply nodded to the rhetorical question.

"Well, in that case, would you care to join me for some delicious pancakes? I know a place that imitates an American diner almost flawlessly."

"Didn't know that you'd like that kind of stuff."

"Say what you want about the West, but if its food is half as good there as it is here, then they know how to cook."

"Lead the way." Yu ordered.

* * *

The diner Akechi lead Yu to was very close by, so close they didn't even have to take the train. If there ever was a place in Japan that made one feel like they were living in the United States, this diner was that place. Waitresses dressed in plaid dresses, newspaper clippings praising the restaurant were dotting the place, the tiles were in a black and white checkerboard pattern, and the pictures were in black and white. By the time they arrived, they stopped serving breakfast, much to Akechi's dismay. The two of them sat in seats along the counter, opting to instead order chili dogs and milkshakes. Akechi decided to strike up a conversation.

"So, and be honest, will you be able to help out with our… activities after school tomorrow?"

"Yea. The bruises are already healing." Yu answered.

"I'm still impressed you managed to walk after the brawl."

"Just how aggressive is Sae-san when she fights?"

"Hungry pack of wolves aggressive. Given how she's treated in the workspace, I'm not surprised she has a lot of pent up anger."

"What do you mean by how's she treated? Does she get abused?"

"Not in the way you're thinking. The SIU is almost completely made up of men. Because of that, Sae-san has to do twice the work for half the respect. She gets cat-called, talked down on, and always stuck with menial work fit for interns. That is, until they need her. Then they go and borderline beg her to take up the job because anyone with less talent and drive would fail the case."

"I thought the SIU hasn't lost a single case in 50 years?"

"That's because they've made many behind-the-scene deals. If you have a well-known last name, and if your family still has influence and money, you will get off with maybe nine months in jail time for human trafficking and child murder."

"I can't say I'm surprised, given my experience."

"That was the problem, until Sae-san entered the picture. First case she was allowed to take was against a wealthy and well-known surgeon. He was accused and arrested on the charges that he was being paid to fail on surgeries for high-class individuals; CEOs, Cabinet members, and so on."

"I heard of that. His name was Wei Po, right? Dad talked about him."

"Correct. Everyone expected Sae to lose. The judge was bribed, the jury, bought. For the first time, the SIU would lose, and it would've given the Director the perfect excuse to fire her."

"So how'd she do it? Makoto said that you and her met when you took Kobayakawa's predecessor down, and if this was her first case, she wouldn't have you."

"Kamoshida, yes. But to answer: Her hard work, dedication, charisma, and talents allowed her to wield an ironclad argument that trapped Wei. If the jury and judge were to let him off the hook, then people would know they were bought, and would call for their heads. And so, a nobody woman managed to best a wealthy and well-known individual, all without the backing of the SIU."

"And I take it she became rather popular because of it."

"Actually, yes, but it was very short-lived. The only reason she isn't a national celebrity is because she spends more time on work than on TV shows.'

"Jeez, and I thought dad was a workaholic."

"My friend, Sae-san is the living, breathing definition of a workaholic."

The waitress now came over and delivered their meals. As they started to dig in, they continued talking, albeit with enough food to be understandable.

"So, is Shiho good enough to head back?" Yu asked.

"Yes. She told me that Shoichi's pills have almost completely undone the damage Kobayakawa inflicted."

"I'm glad, but we should use what we have sparingly. Between getting her her little… booster, and Morgana, I've completely run dry in the money department."

"Yes, Morgana-san told me about it. Here."

Akechi fished into his wallet and pulled out three 60,000 Yen bills.

"Akechi, I can't-"

"Yes, you can. And you have to. You're in charge of getting our supplies, remember?" Akechi insisted, handing Yu the bills.

"Fine. But I'll keep these for supplies and supplies only." Yu replied, taking the bills.

"That's fine. And I would still give you them even if we weren't going to that place."

"Really?"

"Of course! What are friends for?"

_ Stabbing you in the back when you need them _.

In spite of that thought, Yu smiled. Akechi really did consider each other friends, as opposed to just partners working to a common goal. Yu gave a curt nod at the statement.

"Alright then. You know what else friends do? Pay the check." Yu said as he finished the last of his milkshake, giving Akechi a pat on the back as he got up to leave.

Akechi opened his mouth, agast and stunned. Before Yu left, he turned one last time to the Detective Prince.

"Oh and Akechi?" Yu called.

"Yes Narukami-san?"

"Just call me Yu. Narukami-san is a bit too formal for friends."

"Alright Naruka-er-Yu."

The waitress gave Akechi the check, and the silver-eyed teen bidded his Confidant farewell.


	21. Game Plan

It had been a few days since Yu stiffed Akechi with the bill. Now, less than a week remained for the deadline before Kobayakawa revealed the pictures to Sae. Because of this, Yu, Akechi, Shiho, and Morgana decided to resume infiltration and had successfully returned to Kobayakawa's Palace.

(Palace music- Kobayakawa's Palace theme)

As their metaverse outfits replaced their school uniforms, Shiho examined her outfit, she let out a small giggle.

"You know, this outfit is pretty badass. How come you guys aren't dressed in armor?"

"That's a good question. I thought, based on Akechi's and my outfits, we'd all get dressed in fancy clothes." Yu asked, looking to Morgana.

"Because Metaverse outfits take shape based on how you see yourselves. For example, in my case, I see myself as a cat burglar, and my outfit takes shape accordingly."

"Oh that reminds me, here." Yu said, reaching inside his backpack and pulling out a model MP5. Shiho's face beamed at the sight.

"Oh, we need to decide a codename for the rookie." Morgana pointed out.

"A codename?"

"Yea. Since yelling our real names might cause further problems, we go by codenames." Yu explained.

"Oh yea, I remember now. Didn't you guys go by Seeker, Ace, and Carmen?"

"Yup. Now, what should we call you?" Morgana asked.

"Gladiator. It's obvious from her attire and weapon." Akechi answered.

"No, sounds too barbaric." Shiho countered.

"What about Inferno, since you're Persona's a fire type?" Yu asked

"It's a Persona, not a Pokemon. Besides, it's supposed to be for me, not my inner self."

"Alright, what do you want to be called?" Morgana demanded.

"Hmmmm. I think… I'll be called what I am: a Pariah."

"Pariah? Very well. In that case, let's get to… it…" Yu trailed off as he saw something strange.

"What's wrong Seeker?" Akechi asked, only to be ignored as Yu walked right past him.

Yu approached what got his attention: a blue cell door with Justine standing beside it, flipping a book between her fingers in boredom. As he approached, she tilted her head to regard him.

"Ah, there you are, inmate. Please step in, the Master, my sister and I have something to show you."

Justine opened the door, gesturing for Yu to enter, which he did, the cell door closing right behind him. Looking around, he found that not only was he in prisoner clothes, but in cuffs and had a metal ball weighing him down. He was in the Velvet Room, and the only difference was that this time, he had a way out; the cell door that he entered from hung open by just a crack. Standing in front of him were Igor and the Twin Wardens.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." Igor greeted.

"Why did you ask me here?"

"As you know, your contract dictates that we offer you our assistance with your rehabilitation. And from this moment forth, we offer that assistance. The Velvet Room offers a variety of services. The most common one is fusion, a magic ritual that my assistants and I perform to merge two or more Personas. The result is a singular strong Persona that contains the previous Personas' abilities."

"Really? That's amazing!"

"Indeed. And should you need a Persona you have already fused, simply ask access the Persona Compendium, select the Persona you wish to call from the sea of your soul, and you will have it, for a price."

"That's good to-wait, WHAT?! Even entities that live on another plane of existence are charging me?!" Yu yelled.

"There are other services that we can give you, but they will be made available to you over time." Igor replied, ignoring the outburst.

"But the fusing itself is free?"

"Of course. But, there is also a catch with it."

"Of course there is."

"At your current state, you can barely wield two percent of all known Personas."

"Are you calling me weak?"

"Yes. But there is some good news, however. As you continue with your rehabilitation, you will be able to wield more and more Personas. With each Shadow you defeat, a fraction of its power becomes yours. As you accumulate more and more power, you will be able to wield stronger Personas. That power is shared with whatever Persona you are currently using. If enough power is acquired, that Persona will use it to learn a new move." Igor explained.

"The same goes for the other Tricksters, even if they aren't fighting by your side at that moment. So long as they're in the Metaverse when you defeat a Shadow, they'll get a fraction of its power too." Caroline added.

"That'll come in handy if one of us is too injured to go on."

"There is one final thing you must know before we get to fusing. You recall the bonds you've begun to forge with Confidants?" Igor asked.

"You mean every time a voice goes off in my head? Yea."

"Each Persona can be classified in one of 22 Arcana, and you have a confidant for each. Whenever you fuse a Persona, the Confidant of the matching Arcana will lend its strength to the new Persona. The stronger your bonds with that Confidant, the more power it will give. And once you've established an unbreakable bond with a certain Confidant, you will be able to fuse the highest Persona of the matching Arcana."

"I think I understand. This is kind of like a video game."

"If that's how you understand it, then please, think of it that way. Now that you know everything, let us begin with the fusing, if you so desire."

* * *

Once Yu was done with his first fusion ritual, he exited the Velvet Room. And soon saw a hand waving in his face. He blinked twice and his vision focused to see his team members standing in front of him, their faces a mix between worry and confusion.

"You still with us Seeker?" Akechi asked, snapping his fingers.

"Yea, I'm fine. Didn't you see me go through the door?"

"What door?"

"This door." Yu gestured to the blue cell door behind him.

"Uhh Seeker? There's nothing there." Akechi pointed out.

Yu looked back. The blue door was still there, and Justine was still twirling her book.

_ Maybe they just can't see it? Wait, Igor said only those with a contract can enter the Velvet Room _

"You sure you're alright? You were spacing out just now." Shiho said, crossing her arms.

"Yea, I just entered the Velvet Room."

"Ah, so Master Igor is offering his services! Was wondering when he'd make them available. I take it you have a new Persona now?" Morgana inquired.

"Yea, and I'm eager to try it out. We have both of the codes, so let's get on the jet."

Morgana simply nodded, and blew into her whistle, summoning the Mona-mobile as Akechi filled Shiho in. The four got in, Shiho taking a moment to admire the vehicle, earning some beams of pride from Morgana. The mini-bus speed off in the direction of the airport. Strangely enough, there were no checkpoints or security stations, which only put the group on high alert. By the time they reached the airport, no Shadow had tried to stop or even interact with them. Once they made it to the airstip itself, there was a private jet waiting for them, with a single Shadow in the form of a pilot waiting in the plane at the top of the stairs.

"Guess no one will attack unless provoked." Morgana hypothesised.

"Either that, or all the security is still focused on the hotels." Yu countered.

The four got out and approached the Shadow, which bowed when they started to climb the stairs into the plane.

"Welcome to Shujin Airlines. Before we begin, I ask that you please turn in your codes."

"Right here." Yu replied, handing the codes to the pilot.

"Thank you, please wait here while we verify."

The pilot walked into the jet. The seconds felt like hours, and the four stood awkwardly in place, ready to unleash their Personas should they see any sign of security. The pilot returned a few minutes later.

"The code has been verified. Please come in and get comfortable while we make preparations for take-off."

The Tricksters smiled as they boarded. The jet had everything one expected a private jet to have: leather seats, a bar, and a large plasma screen TV with a couch under it. There was a door that lead into a bedroom, but it was only enough for two. Hopefully, this trip wouldn't take very long. Then there was a _whirl_ in the air as the pilots started the engines. The four took to their seats and watched as the plane accelerated and lifted itself into the air. Yu and the others looked out and admired the sight; the sea bathing in the glow of the setting sun seemed like something straight out of a movie. His team went to various parts of the plane, Morgana went behind the bar, Shiho took a seat on the couch, and Akechi turned on the TV, and immediately turned it off when it was nothing but propaganda. Morgana pulled out a shot glass and a bottle of whiskey.

"I hope you know that you shouldn't drink right before the mission." Yu pointed out before she started to pour.

"Oh come on! I want to try it!" Morgana protested.

"I would like to remind you that we're all minors here." Akechi added.

"Correction; _you _guys are minors. I'm a timeless entity whose existence is linked to a universe formed by human thought, and the only reason I appear in the shape of a human is to put you guys at ease and blend into the waking world." Morgana argued.

"Carmen, please. If you're drunk, you won't be very good at fighting." Shiho replied with a gentle tone.

"Well… yea, but-"

"If you die, who will help us with problems involving the Metaverse? Do you know how sad we would be if you left us?" Shiho interrupted, her voice still soft.

"Awwww… fine." Morgana whined.

"How about this? You can bring the whiskey with you out of the Metaverse, and once you're with Akechi, you can drink it. That sound ok?" Shiho offered.

"Yea. Yea! That sounds like a good idea!" Morgana agreed, stuffing the whole bottle into one of her belt pockets.

Akechi smiled and went back to his seat and looked out to the ocean.

"Damn shame this isn't real." He thought aloud.

"The view, or the fact that we're traveling first class?" Yu asked.

"Both. Though, I do feel a certain thrill as we get closer and closer to Kobayakawa's fortress. Like the calm before the storm. Just thinking about what we're here to do makes me feel like some sort of superhero." Akechi answered thoughtfully.

"I'd compare it to more of an anti-hero. Though you're right, I kind of feel like Batman right now. Going outside the law to deliver justice to criminals." Yu added.

"I'd rather be Superman than Batman, and inspire people to be better. Using violence to remove violence will never work."

"But sometimes violence is the only thing that works. I mean, if what you guys said is true, and there is a Shadow version of Kobayakawa in here, and if he has even a fraction of the real thing's personality, then there's no way he'll let us give him a change of heart easily." Shiho countered, her voice much heavier than how she dealt with Morgana.

"Yea, and we'll have to be careful when we do encounter it." Their guide told them.

"I take it that, as Palace ruler, he will be significantly more powerful than the other Shadows here?"

"Not only that, but if we destroy a person's Shadow, it will kill them in the real world."

This caused everyone's face to go white.

"Are… are you sure?" Yu stammered out.

"Completely."

"Then we'll have to keep that in mind when we confront him." Akechi said, more composed than his leader.

"Let's change the subject. What's our plan when we arrive at the island?" Shiho asked.

"Well, our top priority will be finding a Safe Room. That way we have an escape route in case the infiltration goes south. After that, according to Cognitive Akechi, we need to track down a General Morooka who holds the only key that lets us enter Kobayakawa's home." Yu answered.

"Do we know what to expect?"

"More of the same. Judging by how the phone is going blank, I'd say we will have to find another map if we want to navigate the base."

"Don't worry, we'll be sure to look out for you Pariah, as this will be your first time helping us with infiltration." Morgana reminded.

"Didn't I help you guys already when we took down the second marshal?"

"Oh, right. Forgot about that."

"It's ok, I appreciate the sentiment. But don't worry about me, I'll make those Shadows bleed." Shiho stated, cracking her knuckles.

"Well someone's excited."

The conversation was cut short with a _beep _from the PA system.

"Attention all passengers, we are transmitting the landing code to Central Control now. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for descent."

"Alright, once we land, we're going to get out and try to make a break for the flight tower. Hopefully we'll find some information there." Yu ordered.

"And if we don't?" Akechi asked.

"Then we go in blind."

"Look! I can see it!" Morgana exclaimed.

The other three joined her, and sure enough, they saw it as well: It was a single island, one with a volcano on it. Carved out on the mountainside, the group could see what was unmistakably Kobayakawa's house. It looked like an old school Spanish mansion, complete with a courtyard, pool, everything. But what was strange was that the house seemed to be spread out diagonally across the volcano. In one area was the main entrance, at another, higher area, the pool, and even higher was the courtyard. And at the peak was a small domed building, big enough to be a single room, and that building was emitting a small light.

"I'm guessing that that's where we'll find the Treasure." Akechi stated, looking at the domed building.

"Most likely. But remember, we need Morooka's key first."

"All passengers, we are beginning our descent."

The jet came in low, and the four held on tight to whatever they could to brace for the impact. The plane came to a screeching halt as soon as it hit the pavement. Once it came to a complete stop, the PA system chimed again.

"We would like to thank you for traveling with Shujin Airlines. Please be patient while our most gracious president Kobayakawa makes his way to give you a personal tour."

_ Yea, not going to happen _

Yu pulled his pistol and fired at a window, shattering the glass. With the new opening, he leaped through it, landing on the wing of the plane, and the rest of his teammates followed shortly after. Once they were free, the group made a break for the nearby control building, hoping to get to the Shadows before they knew what was up. After their mad dash was complete, Yu decided to creep into the door and saw a Shadow making the rounds. Hiding behind a corner, he waited until the Shadow got close enough to ambush. When it finally did, Yu leapt onto the top of its shoulders.

"Reveal the truth unto me!" He demanded as he ripped the mask right off, forcing the Shadow to transform. Two knights on top of horses. Thanks to the confined area, they had little to no maneuvering room.

"This will be a slaughter. Pariah! Time for some practice!" Yu ordered.

"On it! Melt that armor to slag Boudica!" Shiho ordered, removing her mask.

The scarred and burned woman materialized from the mask and hurled fireballs at the monsters, earning groans of pain from both of them. Shiho readied for another blast, but they forgot one thing: Shadows can cast magic too. Yu saw one raise its spear up and call down a bolt of lightning on their attackers. Thankfully Shiho was able to get out of the way, but Morgana wasn't so lucky. Yu knew these guys resisted electricity, so he decided to switch to a new Persona, the one he made in the Velvet Room.

"Come, **Jack Frost**!" He ordered, taking off a mask.

Materializing behind him was a figure that looked so soft, cuddly, and adorable that if it was any smaller, it would be a doll.

"Hee-ho-hee!" It cheered.

"Bufula!" Yu ordered.

Jack Frost did a backflip, its gaping smile shooting four icicles at the knight that had yet to attack. The soldier got hit by all four, and soon, was frozen solid. Shiho saw this as an opportunity, and charged at the frozen Shadow, dodging the efforts of the second knight to stop her, smacking the frozen opponent to pieces with her flail. But now, she was exposed. The knight raised his sword to attack.

"Garru!" Morgana yelled, having got back up.

The green blast knocked the knight back and off balance, and Akechi took it as his que to let Robin Hood fire an arrow. The pointed weapon pierced the armor, and he let out a howl of agony. Yu decided to finish it off, pulling out his machine pistol and unleashing a barrage of metal. With the Shadow fading to ash, he could feel power coursing through him.

"Alright, everyone ok?" Yu asked.

"My skill set has expanded." Akechi answered.

"Now I'm even more amazing!" Morgana added.

"I got a new skill!" Shiho finished.

"Good work all. Especially you, Pariah." Yu congratulated.

"Awww, thank you! Though seriously Seeker?"

"What?"

"Reveal the truth unto me? That's the best you had?"

"W-well, it's better than saying nothing at all!"

"It makes you sound like a drama queen." Akechi said.

"You know what? I don't have to explain myself. Let's keep moving." Yu ordered.

"Touchy." Morgana whispered to the others.

The four made their way up the stairs and saw five Shadows in the control tower. By now, they had realized that their 'guests' were in fact the rebels and were now scrambling to find them.

"There's no way that we'll be able to take these guys head on, and you can bet they'll try to call for reinforcements when the fighting starts." Morgana pointed out.

Yu reached inside his pockets and found an item that he picked up all the way back to the first hotel.

"Don't worry, I have a plan." Yu told his team as he confidently walked up the stairs. Once he reached the top, he shot a pistol at one of the guards, forcing it to transform. The sound attracted the other Shadows, which also transformed. Before they new it, the Tricksters were outnumbered five-to-one, facing off against various Shadows. That's when Yu pulled out what he had in his pocket.

"The Megido Bomb?!" Morgana cried as Yu pushed a button and threw it at the enemies. There was a blinding light as a pure white sphere erupted from the impact point, and continued to expand until the swirling destructive white-blue energy engulfed the entire room and consumed everyone in it, including the Tricksters. When it vanished, all the Shadows had turned to dust, and the infiltrators were unharmed.

"See? Told you." Yu remarked smugly.

"Look, that door looks a little… distorted." Shiho pointed out, looking at a door in the control room.

"That's what we're looking for." Yu replied as he entered the Safe Room.

"Alright, now that we have a line to the entrance of the Palace and back." Akechi stated.

"Now that that's out of the way, let's start gathering intel." Morgana said as Yu exited the Safe Room, a new bookmark on the Meta-Nav added. The group split up into the now almost empty room. As Yu looked around, he heard Izanagi in his head.

** Remember how I was able to assist you in the real world?**

_ You can do the same here? _

** Yes, although it will be different. In here, I can augment your sight to highlight items that are relevant to whatever it is you seek. Think of it as a Third Eye of sorts. I cannot enhance your hearing, however.**

_ Alright. I presume I activate it the same way? _

** Yes. Concentrate.**

Yu focused his mind, picturing what he wanted to find; anything that could help them navigate this part of the Palace. He opened his eyes, which were now glowing the same sickly yellow as they were when he summoned Izanagi, and the world seemed… dimmer. The world around him faded to blackness, grey lines the only thing to make out anything in the world. And then he saw it. A bright azure object. A stack of paper. Yu walked over to it and saw that what he was looking for was underneath the stack, so he tipped it over, and saw not one, but two maps: One labeled 'Kobayakawa's Sanctuary' and the other 'Military Base Blueprints'. Yu smiled as he stopped focusing, his eyes, and vision, returning to normal.

"Hey guys, I found it!" Yu called.

As he examined the maps, his phone let out a _PING _and he knew that they won't be going in blind now. The others gathered around him and had a look as well.

"Look at this. This says 'Command Center'" Akechi pointed.

"Yea, and according to my phone, it's connected to an elevator that shared with Kobayakawa's private residence."

"So if we get to the Command Center, we can get into the house." Shiho finished.

"And then we're one step away from the Treasure!" Morgana yelled excitedly.

"Then all we have to do is defeat General Morooka. He'd have to be in the Command Center." Akechi finalized.

"Yea. How's everyone doing? Think we can make it there?"

"I've barely broken a sweat." Shiho said, flexing.

"I'm ready, willing, and able." Akechi replied.

"That Megido Bomb you used earlier really saved us a lot of work. I'm confident we can make our way through to the Command Center and beat this Morooka character, at the bare minimum." Morgana finished.

"Alright. Then let's get to it."


	22. General Moron

The group made their way out of the control tower and into the airport itself. Following the map, they found an elevator that would take them to the underground complex that was the military base. The front doors were completely made of glass, and after they piled in and hit the button, it began its descent. Soon they found out why the doors were made of glass: Standing in front of them was a massive army, complete with with tanks, aircraft, and ground troops were stretching out in front of them in rows upon rows that seemed to stretch for eternity. The elevator came to a halt at a catwalk and the group survived the collosal force in front of them.

"This looks like an invasion." Morgana pointed out.

"A soldier once told me Kobayakawa plans to escalate Shujin's renown to global levels." said Shiho.

"And he's forcing me to gather blackmail material on Makoto, whom he sees as the last obstacle. If we don't give him a change of heart, you can bet that all of these will be deployed." Yu added.

"Alright ya worthless tramps, shuddup and siddown!" A man yelled. The voice on the other end was nasally, sick, and just plain uncomfortable to listen to.

"Just because some worthless brat is getting some intel for us doesn't mean ya get to sit around twiddling your thumbs up your asses! I've been burdened with making sure you measure up to glorious Kobayakawa's standards, so get your scrawny tushes in gear for practice! Failure to comply will land you on my shit list!"

Yu turned and looked at his teammates, who had looks varying from confusion to disgust.

"Was that… Morooka?" Morgana asked.

"I'd recognize that nasally voice anywhere. He's just as unpleasant in personality as he is in voice." Akechi answered with a grimace.

The four soldiered on, walking through the catwalk until they heard entered a small decontamination room. The spray from small tubes above started to coat them and the door in front opened up, along with a quaint little saying from Morooka.

"Congrats, you passed the anti-degenerate test! Now quit slacking off!"

As they tried to walk through the open doors, some unknown force pushed them back. An alarm suddenly blared. Immediately, Yu activated his new Third Eye ability to find an exit. Seeing a vent highlighted in blue, he quickly tore it off and the group crawled in just as a Shadow turned the corner to investigate the alarm. As they started to crawl through the vent upwards, they heard the same gravelly voice.

"Well well well. Looks like we got some snarky brats in our compound! They probably are a buncha weirdos who are gonna infect the servers with that pervert trash from the city! Everyone, get on alert!" Morooka ordered.

As the group crawled through the vent, the metal changed to steel grating, allowing the group to see through below them. They saw a man dressed in a dark blue military uniform with a star badge on it addressing two shadows. He had a short bowl haircut, yellow tie, but what stuck out the most was the buck teeth that poured over and covered his lower lip. When he spoke, his unpleasant voice confirmed everyone's unspoken suspicions of who he was.

"Alright you two, we got a buncha little shits crawling around! If you see any, be sure to give them an asswhooping they won't forget! I'll be in the command room if you're too incompetent to do your job."

"Let's keep moving, with any luck, this vent can take us right to that ass." Yu said, but the moment he took one step forward, the grating gave out under him, causing the four Persona users to fall right in front of the Shadows.

"Crap, thought that would hold!" Yu blurted out.

"Intruders!"

The two shadows dissolved and combined their tar puddles to combine into a few succubi. The Tricksters summoned their inner selves, with Shiho in the lead.

"Melt them!" She ordered, Boudica snapping her fingers at the demon women, explosions of fire erupting all around them in a critical strike. One of the demons actually fell from the burst of power, and Akechi spoke up.

"Allow me to take care of this! Robin Hood can take them all down."

"Alright. Pariah, let Ace handle this, then join Carmen and to prepare for an All-Out Attack." Yu ordered.

"Got it!" Shiho acknowledged, passing next Akechi and giving him a high-five. Akechi felt a surge of power from the passing of the baton, so to speak. Power he unleashed on the remaining two demons, the beams of light stunning the enemies. The group closed in, awaiting Yu's orders to finish them.

"What a powerful man. Would you please consider showing mercy?" One demon begged, her voice sultry and alluring.

"Perhaps. If you join my cause."

"Hehe. What? You lacking a girlfriend? I didn't think a hunk like you would have trouble getting women."

"I don't want a regular girlfriend. I want you."

"Oh my! Bold and direct! Just how I like- WAIT! I remember now!"

The girl floated into the air, the other demons vanishing into nothing.

"I am thou. Thou art I. From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am Succubus, and I will aid thee on thy quest."

With that, Succubus turned into a mask and joined the company Yu kept inside his mind. The team gave various stares of disapproval.

"What?"

"Did you really need her Seeker?" Akechi asked.

"Yes." Yu answered much too hastily.

"Why?" Shiho asked, crossing her arms.

"Because she might've had skills we don't, and now, I know she does."

"Oh yea? And what skills are those?" Morgana asked with a frown.

"Mudo. Curse magic." Yu countered.

"Are you sure it was that, and not the fact she was a sex demon?" Shiho asked.

"Let's keep moving." Yu ordered with a wave of his hand.

"Notice how he didn't answer." Akechi whispered.

* * *

They didn't have to travel far until they entered a new room, but it was shaped more like a silo. It was a massive laboratory, one that stretched several floors above, almost as tall as the hotels from before. On each floor was a single room, one that was dedicated to testing equipment, from rockets to lasers. After taking a moment to admire the massive array of The door in front of them was locked, with a keypad that read 'Warning! Equipment testing in progress! Will not open until all equipment is deactivated for safety.' The team proceeded to turn their attention to the first piece; armor stress testing. Inside the room was armor being fired upon to test it's durability. There was also an elevator that led up to the second lab; bullet experimentation. In that room was a catwalk that climbed up to the lab at the top of the silo, which was testing various fuels for rockets, and finally, right next to that was a bridge that would take someone across the lab to the laser testing room. With their goals laid out in front of them, the infiltrators began their task.

In the control room, a general in a blue pushed a few buttons on a keyboard and on a massive screen was the face of the man whom he sweared loyalty to.

"Report." Kobayakawa ordered.

"You were correct in your suspicions Mr. President. The jet was deceived into ferrying the rebels over here. I suspect that they are sneaking into this base now, with the intent of killing me." Morooka replied.

"Do you require reinforcements?"

"Negative Mr. President. I assure you, I have everything under control."

"If you insist. But be cautious of Narukami. Akechi has never made it this far before, and it's no doubt because of his most recent accomplice."

"You have nothing to fear. That little shit will make it this far, but no further."

"I hope you are correct. For your sake."

The widescreen turned off, and Morooka just noticed a blinking red light. Pushing it, a live camera feed showed up of what was happening in the testing lab. Morooka frowned. He hadn't expected them to get this close to the Control Room so fast. By now, the group had managed to disable two of the four testing rooms; the armor and gun testing rooms. He needed to stop this, and now. As the rebels approached the door that would lead them to the next testing room, he hit the lock button right before it opened. He smiled as the group struggled to open it, and turned on the microphone.

"Well well, look at what we have here! I knew that there would be some rats, but you look even more pathetic than I thought!"

The group turned and began talking amongst themselves, and Morooka pushed another button, opening the floor of the lab.

"Alright ya sorry ingrates! There are a buncha brats in here, trying to take down our awesome President! If you want to earn your food for the week, then bring me their heads on a platter!" The general ordered as a platform carrying the soldiers made its way to the surface. The Shadows immediately spread out. Yu decided to retreat to the previous room, ordering his team to split up and hide while he tried to make his way to the panel that controlled this lab's equipment. One Shadow managed to spot him, and he and the others came running. Turning on the computer, Yu searched frantically for what he was looking for.

"Bullet tests… incendiary, armor piercing… aha! Here we go." He said to himself as the screen popped up 'Are you sure you want to test this bullet type?'. Yu turned the turrets that would fire and hit 'Yes'. As the Shadows finally arrived, and the turrets roared to life, spewing bullets at a lightning pace. With each bullet that made impact, an explosion tore a hole through a Shadow, or made a hole on the wall. Within seconds, all of the guards were dead from the explosive bullets before they even had a chance to transform. Morooka let out a shriek of anger.

"Years of academy training WASTED!" He lamented as Yu turned the explosive bullets on the door. The turrets clicked, signaling that they were now empty.

"Alright you little shit. Now you pissed me off."

Morooka pushed a button and alarms started to blare in the lab. A green mist began to fill the lower levels. Poison.

"We need to get out of here, and fast." Yu said as he and the others rushed into the third testing room; the rocket room. Various tubes of several different types of rockets were currently offline, but one of them was still burning. Yu turned to the control panel and began to rotate the exhaust, straight to the door. By now, the poison had reached the first lab. The flames from the rocket began to melt the locked doors, granting the four access to the bridge to the lab.

"Great, so how do we get into the lab itself?" Morgana asked.

"This is how."

Yu turned the rocket so that it was facing the lab door, and released its hinges, sending the rocket flying into the room. A massive explosion shook the whole compound, and the laser room was not even intact anymore.

"You goddamn brats! Do you know how expensive that equipment is to replace?!" Morooka shrieked.

"That didn't manage to punch through the wall. We're trapped." Akechi pointed out.

"No, we aren't." Yu replied, sprinting across the bridge, his teammates following close behind. When he entered what remained of the laser lab, he looked at the map on his phone and saw a small sliver on it. He activated his Third Eye, and saw a small blue square among the rubble; a vent cover. The poison had made it to just over halfway.

"Alright, good eyes Seeker!" Shiho congratulated as Yu tore off the cover and they began to crawl through. Morooka yelled at them as they escaped.

"Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going you little shits?!"

"That's a good question. Where does this lead Seeker?" Akechi asked as they crawled.

"Right to the Command Center. How's everyone holding up?"

"Good to go." Morgana replied.

"Ready for whatever that jerk can throw at us!" Shiho added.

"Ready, willing, and able." Akechi finished.

"Alright. Then let's get to it."

Yu reached the end and pushed the vent cover, dislodging it. Coming out, he saw Morooka, yelling at the computer screen. The others came out of the vent and silently called their Personas, pulled out their weapons and took battle positions. Yu revealed his katana and summoned Izanagi, slowly walking to the general.

"Where'd they go?! Where the hell did those damn brats go?!"

"Hello Morooka. I'm Seeker. These are my friends. Prepare to die."


	23. Volcano Palace

"What the shit?!" Was all Morooka could yell out before he was hit hard by an electric blast from Izanagi.

He slammed into the big computer screen, with Boudica, Lady Trieu, and Robin Hood following up with fire, wind, and holy magic. The group moved in position for an All-Out Attack. It appeared to be an easy kill, even easier than Yu dropping the Megido Bomb in the airport. But appearances could be deceiving, especially for the buck-toothed Morooka. He let out a roar just before the weapons came into contact with him. The sudden explosion of energy forced everyone back, and Morooka's form began to melt into a puddle of tar, and then reformed itself into a giant, fat, elephant man with a single eye and a giant curved blade in his hand.

"I ain't gonna go down like a total pussy, you little bitches!" Morooka yelled, slamming his stomach with his hand and launching a purple wave of energy at the group. The four let out screams of pain, the energy impact feeling like being hit with a thousand hands. Morooka charged, and Akechi summoned Robin Hood to cast holy magic, but the general didn't even slow down from the impact. Morooka ran over Akechi and performed an elbow drop, the impact landing square on his chest. Morgana pelted him with several slinger balls, but all this did was anger him. She pulled out her scimitar and dueled him for a short while, emphasis on 'short'. Morooka hit her with a powerful right hook, forcing her body to turn around, and when her back was exposed, he slashed it with his blade.

_Shit. Barely two minutes in, and he already incapacitated Carmen and Ace._

Yu summoned Jack Frost, hurdling ice at him. The cold slowed the general, but little else. Shiho assaulted him with fire, also with little effect. Yu switched Personas, this time going to Andras, who pelted wind attacks at the monster, again to no avail.

"What the hell is this guy made of?!" Shiho yelled as she fired her SMG, the bullets seeming to be like sticky darts to him. Yu summoned Izanagi, and not even his lightning could get the general to yield. Morooka began to assault Shiho, and the girl was doing everything she could to get away from his flurry, but she was dangerously close to being backed into a corner. Yu fired his machine pistol, but nothing could seem to get his attention off of Shiho. He was almost out of options, there was only one other thing he didn't try.

"Succubus!" Yu yelled, the demon heeding his call a little too quickly.

"Mudo!"

Morooka finally had Shiho cornered, and raised his sword to cleave her in half. Suddenly, a straw doll appeared in front of him. He stopped mid swing as a needle began to poke into the doll, making his eye narrow.

"Is this thing supposed to kill me?" Were his last words before the doll exploded, killing him.

Yu grabbed his knees and started panting. That was the closest he'd come to being killed since Akechi awakened his Persona. He looked over to Shiho, who gave him a meager thumbs up, also breathing heavily. He turned to Morgana and Akechi. Despite her serious back injury, Morgana was alive, and Akechi was beginning to get up, coughing up a storm from the elbow drop. Yu gently tapped Morgana's cheek to get her to respond.

"She's out cold. And that means we lost our medic." Akechi pointed out between coughs.

"Hold on, I think I can patch her up." Shiho replied, summoning Boudica.

"Dia." She said calmly, mending the carved skin until it was mended, the only trace of it being a nasty scar that ran from her shoulders to the bottom of her back. She let out a pained groan as her eyes fluttered open.

"Owwww."

"You alright?" Akechi asked.

"Yea, I am. I'm guessing we won."

"You'd guess correctly. Ace, help her up and support her." Yu ordered.

"Of course."

Yu walked to the pile of ashes that used to be General Morooka, and saw something shining in the pile. Pulling it out, it was a golden key, one with the Shujin emblem on it. He looked back at his team, now able to stand on their own two feet thanks to Shiho's magic. Yu nodded as they walked over to him and looked at his phone. According to the map, there was an elevator in the room, one that would take them straight to the basement of Kobayakawa's mansion. It didn't take long for him to find it, and soon, the team was flying up to the mansion.

"Alright, let's get in the mansion, find a Safe Room, and leave. Everyone think you can last that long?" He asked as they continued to ascend.

"I think I can last a little longer. I can feel us getting closer to the Treasure. This key is supposed to unlock the room that holds it, and after that, we're ready to give him a change of heart."

"I'm with Carmen. My body may be bruised, but this is the closest I've come to stopping Kobayakawa, and I don't intend to stop now on account of an upset stomach." Akechi added.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Boudica and I are seeing this through to the end." Shiho affirmed.

Yu smiled as the elevator doors opened. Peeking through, he saw that there were no Shadows. But there was a door that shimmered before returning to normal. Stepping into the Safe Room, the group immediately took seats to get a quick rest.

"Carmen, you say we're only one step away from the Treasure, but just how big is that step?"

"Well, it depends on this mansion's size. Cognitive Akechi said that this place is Kobayakawa's most heavily defended area. The Shadows here will be stronger, no doubt, but I can sense the Treasure more clearly than before."

"The mansion's size." Yu mumbled as he pulled up his phone again. There were three floors, and one giant spiral that led up to one last room at the top of the volcano. He gave a small nod to his teammates, the signal that break time was over.

After they were out of the Safe Room, they immediately went upstairs, to what was without a doubt, the lobby of the mansion. The floor and pillars were made of flawless marble, the furnishings were expensive, and looked very comfortable, with two massive doors carved from oak wood acting as the main entrance. A painting of Kobayakawa hung proudly on a wall directly across from the front door, with a massive chandelier hanging overhead. There were two balconies, one on the left and right, and the one on the right had a patrolling Shadow. Waiting for him to leave to a nearby room, the group took the left balcony, only to find it lead to a massive library. Rows and columns of books went as far as the eye could see, and their only direction was a single sign that said 'Welcome to the Archive of Secrets! Please don't remove any books without President Kobayakawa's permission!'.

"This library… represents the collective amount of secrets he has?" Morgana asked.

"It'd be more accurate to say that every book probably represents a piece of blackmail, but yes." Akechi answered.

"There's so many. And these secrets are used to hurt each student they came from." Shiho said in horror.

"And I wouldn't be surprised if it extends to Shujin graduates and faculty." Akechi pointed out.

"This place will burn by the time we're done. Come on, let's see what we can use here." Yu ordered, activating his Third Eye. For a moment, they found nothing, so Yu went to the second level and saw a book glowing and out of the bookshelf. He picked it up and saw the title 'Work in Progress: Yu Narukami.'

"Huh. Looks like those who haven't completely bowed to him are referred to as 'Works in Progress'. Let's see how many of these we can find." Yu said, turning around when he heard the library door open.

"Command, this is Secret Service Agent 45, what is it?" A Shadow asked.

"This is Command, General Morooka is nowhere to be found, so we assume that rebels have managed to infiltrate the mansion. What is the President's condition?"

"Alive. Proper security measures are in place. Status of other Secret Service agents?"

"Alive. Proceed with caution Agent 45. If they got past the General, they are very dangerous indeed."

The Shadow cut off the radio and began to start walking up the second floor, looking for the Work in Progress book, and potential intruders. It found neither as the group jumped down to the first floor behind its back, landing silently and walking out of the library. Using the chandelier as a makeshift bridge to the other balcony, they entered what was looked like a study, with a single bookshelf that was curiously missing a single book. Yu walked up to it and inserted the book with his name on it. The sound of cogs and gears were heard inside the walls could be heard, and the bookshelf soon moved to the left of the wall, revealing a secret passage.

Once they stepped through the passage, the group suddenly felt very, _very_ toasty. And it didn't take long to find out why; the passage led to the inside of the volcano's chimney. Down below, they saw the lava, and the smoke that spewed out almost choked their lungs. To their right, they saw a ramp going up to another level. Desperate to get out of this hot, toxic area, they ran up the ramp, and it ended at a lever, that once pulled, revealed another hidden passage. This time, it lead to a balcony that overlooked a pool. A really big pool that was being patrolled by two Shadows.

"Hey guys, think you can take on those two without me?"

"Maybe. I'd feel better if you were with us." Akechi replied.

"Why do you ask? You're not feeling tired are you?" Morgana asked.

"No, it's just that I have a sneaking suspicion that whatever unlocks the next secret passage is in that pool. Just thought we should divide and conquer."

"Alright. Besides, if you do find yourself incapacitated for whatever reason, it'll be good to know that we can handle ourselves." Morgana agreed.

"Ok then. You guys deal with the Shadows, I'll see if I can't find whatever opens the next door." Yu said as Akechi went to the closest Shadow and slashed it across the back, forcing it to transform. The second Shadow transformed and joined the fray, Shiho and Morgana calling their inner selves.

Yu activated his Third Eye and saw something shining in the pool; specifically, the deep end. He dived in and started to swim. It wasn't the size of a private pool, but a public one, one that that had a deep end of about 30 feet. He kept diving, and diving. The pressure was starting to build, he could hear his ears start to pop, his skull feeling tighter and tighter. He knew he couldn't dare to risk going any deeper, lest the pressure do a number on him, but he had to get whatever was at the bottom of the pool.

Tearing off his mask, he sent Izanagi to retrieve the object, hoping that the Persona would be able to get it before he had to come up for air. Izanagi started to fumble around, and Yu found it harder and harder to both use the Third Eye and materialize Izanagi at the same time. He involuntarily opened his mouth, releasing precious oxygen and filling up his lungs with water. That's when he felt Izanagi touch something metallic, and he ordered the god to pick it up immediately. With whatever it was secured, Yu began a frantic swim up to the surface, accidentally taking another gulp of water. His vision was starting to become blurry, and his vision started to fade. With his last conscious effort, Izanagi grabbed him and hurled him to the surface of the pool like a torpedo.

Yu let out massive gasps of air right as he finally escaped, and saw his team finish off the last Shadow. He pulled himself out and forced himself onto dry land, dropping the item Izanagi put in his hand. They ran over to him as soon as they saw him.

"Seeker! Are you alright?" Shiho asked, kneeling down to him as he hacked up water.

"I'm fine. Got the thing." Yu said, pointing to what he dropped.

"It's a gem. Sapphire to be specific." Akechi pointed out, holding it up.

"Pretty…" Morgana drawled in awe.

"Let's find what this goes into." Yu said, pulling himself up with Shiho's help.

The four walked over to the unopened door and saw the face of Kobayakawa carved in it. One of his eyes was a sapphire, but the other eye was just an empty socket. Inserting the gem into that socket, the door slid up and the group walked through the now revealed passage and found themselves back inside the volcano, with another ramp going up. Just like before, the ramp led to one last passage, the final one, according to the map. But as they neared the end, they heard a voice.

"Troops, you are the best of the best. The elite!"

The group exited the passage and saw Shadow Kobayakawa himself delivering a speech to dozens upon dozens of Shadows. The Tricksters were high above on a balcony, crouching to stay out of sight while Kobayakawa continued.

"I have heard troubling reports that the rebels have managed to spread terror to every corner of our mighty nation! Worse yet, there have been rumors that they have managed to infiltrate this very mansion! Make no mistake men, these are dark times. But I have faith! Faith that the righteous will prevail! That my might will crush these rebels, just like before."

The group moved along the ledges, not even registering Shadow Kobayakawa's words. They made their way to the final locked door, made of simple oak, and one lock in the center. Pulling out Morooka's key, they inserted it and turned, a satisfying clicking was heard as Shadow Kobayakawa finished his speech.

"We will unite! We will stand together! And I will wipe out all who oppose me!"

Yu rolled his eyes as he opened the door to the final passage. But it was different from the others as there was another set of doors inside the wall. One that simmered. Stepping into the Safe Room, Yu looked at his phone and saw that it was bookmarked as "Volcano Peak". He quickly walked back out and the four continued their infiltration. Once they were back inside the volcano, the ramp didn't start and stop like the others. It spiralled up and up for what felt like miles. By the time they reached the top, they were all out of breath, each panting heavily.

"We… made… it." Yu wheezed out.

"Yea… it's… very… beautiful." Shiho admitted.

She wasn't wrong. The view alone was worth the hike. From the domed shrine, one could see not just all of the mansion, but the entire ocean and the city of Shujin Nation. The setting sun gave a glowing color to the ocean, and the city was illuminated in a way that looked straight out of a travel brochure.

"Look. Is that… the Treasure?" Akechi asked, puzzled.


	24. We're coming for you

Standing in front of them was a giant golden gas cloud. Whenever anyone tried to touch it, their hands would pass right through. They then tried summoning their Personas, but not even their inner selves could touch it. Morgana clapped her hands to get their attention as they got more and more frustrated.

"Alright, so… as you guys have seen, we can't really touch or interact with the Treasure in any way, and there's a reason for that. See, since the Treasure is just 'desires' it can't take a physical form."

"You couldn't have mentioned that before we almost died to a poison mist, cyclops elephant, and hauled our asses up a volcano?!" Yu yelled.

"Hey let me finish!" Morgana snapped back.

Yu crossed his arms, and motioned for Morgana to continue.

"However! Every person has specific desires, but to make those desires manifest, then the person will have to be aware that they can be stolen."

"You lost me there." Shiho interrupted.

"Basically, if we tell Kobayakawa that we're going to steal his heart, then this gas cloud will take the shape of something physical. Something we can steal."

"But that'll put Kobayakawa on guard. Palace security would skyrocket." Akechi pointed out.

"Yea, not to mention, if we told Kobayakawa that we are going to make him confess, he'd probably try to take us down before that." Shiho added.

"Then we won't tell him ourselves. We'll leave him a card, one that tells him that we know what he's done, and that we'll take his distorted desires without fail." Yu responded.

"Oooh, I like that!" Morgana purred.

"A calling card? Yes… yes, I see. Leave writing it to me, Seeker." Akechi said.

"Alright. But make sure your schedules are cleared. Once the target has seen the card, the effect will only last about 12 hours. And once that time's up, then that golden cloud? It'll vanish forever, so we'll have to steal the Treasure within those 12 hours." Morgana informed.

"Got it. Everyone free for tomorrow afternoon?"

"Well, chances are, once Kobayakawa sees the card, I will be the most likely suspect, so I might not be able to join you." Akechi pointed out.

"Then we'll just have to make do." Shiho stated matter-of-factly.

"Right. If there's nothing back, let's get back to the real world, and prepare." Yu ordered.

* * *

Yu and the others had made their way back to the real world, and gone their separate ways. Right now, Yu had wandered into a park. It was lovely, with a pond, trees that had just finished blooming, and singing birds. Best part? No one else was here. He sat on a nearby rock and started to think about what could happen tomorrow. They hadn't seen Kobayakawa's Shadow in action, and if he followed the same rules as the other Shadows, then he would transform into something to fight them. What that something was, Yu had no idea. And worse yet, they would most likely be down a man. He let out a sigh as he looked across the serene pond. There were so many ways this could go wrong, and if it did, then it wouldn't just be him who would pay the price. But moping and thinking wouldn't help anyone. He got up to leave, but stopped when he heard a voice.

"Excuse me, could you stay in that position please?" A man asked.

Yu looked to the voice's source, and saw a man standing there. He couldn't have been older than a highschooler. He wore a plain white button-up shirt, with a Fleur de Lis on it. Attached to his black dress pants was a keychain, and his arms, legs, and body in general all looked way too skinny and small for a teenager. His hair was parted to one side and seemed so black it almost looked blue. Yu noticed that he had a canvas with him, as well as several paints and brushes, and yet, he was using a pencil to work on a sketchbook. Yu had no idea how this guy was able to sneak up on him with all that. Was he _that _deep in thought?

"Are you an artist?"

"I am."

"What's your name?"

"I am Yusuke Kitagawa. And I would appreciate it immensely if you returned to your previous position." He replied from behind the canvas.

"Ok." Yu said, returning to sitting on the rock. After some minutes, he heard a groan from Yusuke.

"It's no use. The magic is gone."

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes. There was an intense look in your gaze, one that compelled me to try and immortalize it in art, but sadly, that gaze is gone, like a camp fire in a blizzard." Yusuke lamented.

"That's a shame."

"Do you think you could have that gaze again? Think about whatever it was before."

Yu decided to try. He tried to think about the coming battle, but he just couldn't focus. His mind began to wander instead to Yusuke, his mind curious about his new guest. Yu snuck a glance to see what he could determine about Yusuke based on his appearance, before going back to looking at the pond.

"Yes! That's it! Hold that gaze!" Yusuke shouted as Yu began to think.

** What is your hypothesis Narukami?**

_ His Fleur de Lis had the number 2 on it, and it's on a plain white button-up shirt, so I'm guessing he's in high school, and the number could signify his year. His skinny body suggests one of three things; he's poor and trying to scrape money, or he's so dedicated to his passion that he neglects his personal health for favor of painting/sketching, or both of those. His keychain suggests that he lives in a house, one that's in a lower-income community, as he will have to lock many things to keep potential thieves out, which further adds credibility to the idea that he's very poor. But not poor enough to paint/draw for money. If that was true, he wouldn't be out in the park drawing whatever caught his eye. _

** There's also the fact that he didn't ask for our permission to be drawn. This means either he thought he'd be done before we moved, or he has poor people skills.**

_Or both._

"Finished! Would you like to see the fruits of our labor?" Yusuke asked, putting his pencil down. Yu got up and examined the finished product. If you looked at the face sketched, you wouldn't assume it belonged to a teenager, but to a battle-hardened warrior. The intensity of his grey eyes gave the impression not of a boy trapped on probation, but of a hero who stood against the evils of the world. Yu had to admit, it was a good look on him.

"Wow. I'm impressed." Yu admitted.

"Thank you. I must ask, do you come here often… um…"

"Narukami. Yu Narukami."

"Do you come here often Narukami-san? I would love to sketch you again some other time. You are far more agreeable and easier to work with than other people."

"I'm not sure. This is honestly the first time I've come here."

"Truly? Then it must be fate that I've made your acquaintance today Narukami-san."

"Heh, you could say that. What about you, you come here often?"

"It's infrequent. Mostly you can find me in the Sibuya subway people watching, should you wish to model for me again."

"You know, I'm surprised I haven't heard of you, given your skills."

"I'm not famous, true. But perhaps you would know my sensei's name; Ichiryusai Madarame."

Yu's eyes widened.

"Sensei? You were his student?"

"And his destroyer."

Yu crossed his arms, a small smile starting to form on his lips. His curiosity was piqued

"I sense a story behind this."

"If you have the time and patience."

"I don't have anywhere to be." Yu argued, determined to see how many of his guesses were correct.

Yusuke's lips grew into a small smile. He gestured for Yu to take a seat.

"Very well. One day, while I was painting in the shack that was our home, I heard him talking outside the window, then I heard a voice I did not recognize. At first, I ignored it, until I heard the name 'Sayuri' escape the stranger's lips."

"The Sayuri? Isn't that a famous painting?"

"Yes. It's also the source of my inspiration as an artist. When the masked man opened a suitcase full of cash, Sensei then proceeded to hand the painting in exchange for the money. He had sold the artwork of my dreams to a man who couldn't even show his face. Naturally, I was distraught over what I witnessed. The next morning, I went to Sense-ahem-Madarame to confront him about it. But I was surprised to see that the Sayuri was still hanging in it's usual spot. I then thought it was all a dream. Until I saw the same suitcase, now half empty, lying outside Madarame's room."

"And you decided to get to the bottom of it." Yu guessed.

"I thought about confronting Madarame, but decided against it. I had received warnings and heard rumors about how he had treated pupils before me, but I had never received such treatment before. But I decided that it would be best to investigate myself, then confront him with the proof. I knew the shack from top to bottom, save one; a door he kept locked at all times."

"And you started there."

"Yes. I snuck into Madarame's room, stole the key, and went inside. I was expecting unfinished works, scrapped ideas, but I found something far more horrifying; forged copy upon forged copy of the Sayuri. Hundreds of them were cluttered in that room. I took as many photos as possible, and I realized the claims of abuse and plagiarism might have had some merit. I contacted the police. And none other than the Detective Prince himself answered my call."

"What happened then?"

"Once I told him what I had witnessed, and showed him the evidence, he agreed to investigate Madarame. It was a slow crawl, but thanks to his detective skills, and some help from me, we figured out Madarame wasn't just forging Sayuri copies and selling them. He was replicating the work of his former pupils and selling the counterfeits to art enthusiasts. I confronted him about this, and he threatened me, told me that if I didn't keep my mouth shut, he would throw me out, and do to my artworks what he had been doing to his previous pupils' works. The man who raised me, fed me, clothed me, taught me everything I knew… saw me only as livestock." Yusuke explained, his hands clenching so hard his knuckles turned white.

"That's terrible. You must have been devastated."

"You have no idea. Fortunately, Akechi was able to record the whole thing. That was the last nail in the coffin. With that, and the woman Sae Niijima's help, they were able to put Madarame behind bars, and deliver justice to his victims."

"Wow. What happened after that?"

"After that, I inherited the shack, and Akechi-san and I stay on very good terms to this very day."

"I see."

Suddenly, there was a boom of thunder, and off in the distance, the two boys could see dark, stormy skies rolling in.

"Well, I for one, say we should get going." Yu suggested.

"Agreed. If the sketch suffered damage from the rain, or lost because of the winds, I'd never forgive myself." Yusuke agreed.

"It was nice meeting you Narukami-san. And most refreshing to talk to someone on a subject other than being my model."

"And you too, Yusuke."

The two exchanged a small bow between each other and went on their way to their respective homes.

_I am thou. Thou art I. _

_Thou has acquired a new vow. _

_It shall become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth. _

_With the birth of the _**_Hanged Man _**_Arcana, _

_Thou hast obtained the blessing that will grant thee new power. _

* * *

Yu barely managed to make it back to the apartment in time before the rain started to come down hard. A giant thunderstorm was predicted to hit, and Yu also saw some lightning in the distance. When he entered the living room he saw Makoto was busy studying as usual, so he decided to join her. But with what was going down tomorrow, he could barely focus on his homework. He decided to concentrate his efforts on the pieces that were due tomorrow, then grab some food, and see if he could hit the hay.

"Yu-kun?" Makoto asked.

"Yes Makoto?"

"Is everything alright? You seem… disturbed."

"It's nothing."

"If that was true, you would be done with homework by now."

_ Shit. Think Narukami, think. _

"I was visiting the park today, and someone just came up and started sketching my face."

"Really? Was he in the shadows? Did you get a good look at his face? Were you followed?" Makoto asked rapid-fire, her posture starting to tense up.

"He said his name was Yusuke Kitagawa."

Makoto visibly relaxed and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Oh. It was Yusuke. Well, don't worry about him, he's harmless. Though, if he does bother you, tell him you personally know Sae Niijima."

"What's the history?"

"Well, while Sis and Akechi-kun were in the process of taking down Madarame, Sis asked Yusuke-kun to come over to our house, for his protection and to interview him. Once that was done, he asked Sis if she wanted him to paint her."

"Oh. That doesn't sound too ba-"

"Nude."

Yu's jaw hit the floor and his eyes filled the air for a good five minutes.

"How the hell is he still alive?"

"Well, I already told you, Sis carries a taser on her person. And with Yusuke… let's just say she aimed for the lower regions of the body. Several times."

Yu involuntarily let out a shudder at the comment. He felt a buzz in his pocket and whipped out his phone.

"It's starting to get late. I'll cook us something, then I'm heading to bed." Makoto stated, putting away her books and starting the cooking process. Yu looked at her and gave her a 'sounds good' before turning to his friends.

Morgana: Be sure to get extra sleep tonight. We don't know what'll be waiting for us.

Shiho: We know Morgana. Let's meet up as soon as school is over. How's the Calling Card going?

Morgana: Akechi's cutting out newspaper kanji to make it. He has a very specific message he wants to send.

Yu: Any idea what we should expect from Kobayakawa's Shadow?

Morgana: None. No person's Shadow is the same, because each person is unique, and a Shadow is the repressed true self. And remember: we kill the Shadow, we kill the person.

Shiho: That won't stop us. We've come this far. I won't let you guys down, no matter what!

Yu: I appreciate the enthusiasm. And don't worry. We _will _win.

Morgana: That's the spirit!

Morgana: Akechi asks 'Shiho, do you still have Ushimaru's number?'

Shiho: Oh right! I told him I'd be ready to tell him who hurt me in a few days. When should I call him?

Yu: I have an idea. Why don't you call Ushimaru near the end of school? That way, Ushimaru will have to talk to Kobayakawa and let Akechi off the hook. Then he can join us in the Palace.

Shiho: Ooooh! That's a good idea!

Morgana: Akechi approves of the idea, and he'll be sure to try and meet us at the school gates. He also says that once Kobayakawa gets tattled on, he's probably gonna try and track down Sae and show her the pics, so we should be as fast as possible.

Yu: Alright, then it's settled. Tomorrow, Akechi will reveal the calling card to Kobayakawa. Before school ends, Shiho will call Ushimaru and tell him what Kobayakawa did to her. After that, we head to the Palace, steal the Treasure, and do everything in our power to get out alive.

Shiho: Got it.

Morgana: Be sure to go to sleep guys. We'll need it.

Yu: Do you hound Akechi to go to bed like this?

Akechi: Yes, she does.

* * *

"Yu-kun, are you alright? You seem nervous." Makoto asked.

The two of them are on their way to school, same as usual. Yu's Personas, Izanagi included, were rolling in his stomach, anticipation for the upcoming battle starting to build. Anticipation that Yu apparently couldn't hide, since Makoto had to ask about it.

"Are you still worried about Yusuke-kun? I told you, he's harmless."

"It's not him. It's Shiho."

"I've been visiting her in the hospital. According to the doctors, she'll be well enough to attend school, starting tomorrow."

"That's good to hear. Wonder if she'll finally say who did that to her."

Makoto's brow furrowed.

"If she does tell us who's responsible, I'll make sure he regrets it."

_ You'll have to wait in line. _

"I believe it. But about Shiho, I'm worried that she'll be a target again if she talks." Yu explained.

"Don't worry. If she talks, Sis can keep her safe. And I can follow her around, if need be."

"Oh yea? I don't see you as a stalker."

"Hey! I can be a great stalker if I wanted!" Makoto yelled, immediately blushing when she realized just how poorly that sounded out of context. Yu simply laughed as the train doors opened and they made their way to school.

"Sorry, but whenever I think of you following someone, all I can see is you holding up a manga, hiding your face and thinking that's enough."

"W-well… it might be." Makoto countered, earning another smirk from Yu.

"No it's not."

By now, they had arrived at Shujin Academy, and Yu could tell there was quite a bit of commotion going on, judging by how many voices were heard from the second floor. Both Yu and Makoto were surprised to see a gaggle of students standing around the announcement board, where people would post flyers meant to inform student of upcoming events. But instead of flyers, or posters, there were red cards tapped on top of them. On each of the cards were the same message and a logo of a top hat with two eyes and a magnification glass on one of the eyes. Yu and Makoto got close enough to read the message they all conveyed.

_To Coach Kobayakawa, the glutton of Shujin; _

_We know of your sins, of the pain you have inflicted upon the students of this place. We know that you blackmail, threaten, and abuse the children of this academy, simply because you are obsessed with giving it the illusion of a prestigious school, with no remorse or pity for the damage it causes. We know you hunger for more power than you deserve, even going so far as to manipulate the faculty and graduates of this school to obtain it, because you see this place as your own private nation, and you desire to see it elevated to global recognition, even if it means tearing families apart or driving some to attempt suicide. For that reason, we have decided to take your distorted desires without fail, and make you confess to your wicked ways with your own mouth. _

_Signed: _

_The Phantom Team. _

"Who wrote this garbage?" One student asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Oh come on. I think it's pretty cool." Another countered.

"Think Akechi-senpai did this?"

"Nah man. Akechi's smart enough to know better than to let the coach know he's coming for him."

"Plus, if Akechi-senpai had the ability to make Kobaya-cunt confess, he would've used it sooner."

The murmurs continued until a voice with pure malice boomed.

"Who called me Kobaya-cunt?! And what's going on here?!"

Kobayakawa's voice made everyone tremble and back away on instinct. As he looked and read the cards, Akechi walked up the stairs.

"Are you ready?" Akechi whispered, earning a silent nod from Yu.

"Akechi! Where's that-THERE YOU ARE!" Kobayakawa roared upon spotting the red-eyed teen.

"What's wrong Kobayakawa?" Akechi asked in a tone so pleasant it was almost mocking.

"Explain yourself!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Akechi replied calmly.

Suddenly, there was a flash, and for a moment, Akechi, Yu, and Kobayakawa were standing all alone together, on an endless black plane. But Kobayakawa had transformed into his Shadow, his sickly yellow eyes drilling holes into Akechi and Yu.

"You wish to overthrow me?! Come and try Akechi! This attempt will fail, just like all the others." It taunted.

Another flash, and this time, they were back in Shujin, and Kobayakawa was back to his original self.

"Akechi, follow me. The two of us are going to have a talk with the principle." Kobayakawa snarled. Akechi gave a small nod to Yu, who gave one in return.

* * *

School was almost out. Akechi had to spend most of the beginning arguing with Kobayakawa and defending himself, much to his annoyance. Kobayakawa tried, and tried hard to pin the blame on Akechi, but the ace detective had thought of everything. Now, with the bell almost about to ring, Akechi felt relief and joy to see the phone ring in the principal's office, and Ushimaru took on a grim face before turning to Kobayakawa. The bell rang, and the big-boned man told Akechi that he could leave, and he had to restrain himself from knocking over people as he did. He saw Yu, and the two students bolted to the gates. Ushimaru would be able to keep their enemy busy, but he could only do so for so long. Eventually, Kobayakawa's blackmail would make it to the police if they didn't steal the Treasure in time. Akechi and Yu ran to the alleyway and saw Morgana and Shiho waiting for them. With the push of a button, the four Tricksters entered the Metaverse.

The race against the clock had begun.


	25. Viva La Revolution

Wasting no time, Yu immediately teleported his group into the Peak of the Volcano Safe Room, and then proceeded to make a mad dash to the Treasure, ignoring the heat and smog from the volcano. When they arrived, Morgana was correct about the calling card's effect. Instead of a golden gas cloud, they instead found a golden stamp seal hovering in the air, as if it was dangling from an invisible string.

"Well, on the bright side, this'll be easy to carry." Yu said reaching out to touch it.

He soon heard the whistle of a rocket and was immediately pulled back by Shiho. She was able to get him out of the domed shrine just before a rocket slammed into its foundation. The building crumbled, and the team slid down the mountain face, all the way to the courtyard where Shadow Kobayakawa was giving his speech. And that was the very same man who fired on them, only this time, he stood alone. Yu and his group were able to be behind most of the rubble that fell, but the impact kept them from landing gracefully.

"I underestimated you, Narukami." He growled, throwing the rocket launcher to the ground and picking up the Treasure.

"Kobayakawa! About time you started to fight your own battles!" Akechi yelled as he and the others picked themselves up and readied for battle.

"A fact that you and the scum you call friends shall soon regret. Worthless brats, every last one of you! You scream and cry for change and revolution, but you stubbornly and arrogantly refuse to accept that what I did, I did with everyone's best interest in mind! All the sacrifices I made, I made for the happiness of the students Shujin! I decide who is worth having, I decide the worth of all who come here!"

"How was leaking my record for everyone's best interest?!" Yu demanded.

"How was hospitalizing me supposed to make anyone happy?!" Shiho yelled.

"How are Eiko's and Mishima's corpses _your_ sacrifices?!" Akechi roared.

"Who said you got to decide the worth of other human beings?!" Morgana hissed.

"ENOUGH! I don't have to explain myself to worthless rabble like you. I'll expunge you like the trash you are!" Was all Kobayakawa could retort, a dark, twisted energy beginning to flow all around him. It swirled and swirled until the Shadow grabbed its skull, almost like it was trying to summon its own Persona. But instead of an inner self, the stomach exploded, and torrents of sickly red pus began to coat the ground. Then, the vile fluid began to reform itself around Kobayakawa, and when it was done, everyone's eyes widened in fear and shock. They didn't know what to expect, but they certainly didn't expect this.

Standing where Kobayakawa once was, was a tank.

But not just any tank. In the center, where the cockpit would be, was a giant metal head of Kobayakawa, and on the left and right sides of the head were long cannons. On the back of the tank were several small holes that miniature missiles could be launched from, just in front of the metal head were three machine gun turrets, all locked and loaded. Finally, planted right beside the cannons, were two Shogun flags, all four bearing the emblem of Shujin on its crimson fabric.

"Uh guys. We need to run!" Yu declared.

They all turned their backs and made a break for the door. They barely managed to start making it down the ramp in time before Kobayakawa barreled through, the tank going overboard and plunging into the lava below. Or he would, if not for the thrusters propelling him back up, allowing him to hover and keep up with the team.

"Oh come on! He can fly?!" Shiho yelled as Kobayakawa fired a shell, fracturing the volcano wall, but thankfully missing anyone.

"Keep going!" Yu replied, narrowly avoiding the rocks that were launched from Kobayakawa's shot impact.

The four barely dodged another tank shell as they followed Yu's lead, entering the next passage to the pool, and then back into the volcano.

"Seeker, what are we doing?!" Akechi yelled as they ran down the second ramp.

"We can't fight him here! If we draw him to the airport, Carmen will have enough space to use the Mona-mobile!" Yu explained.

"The what?!" Shiho questioned.

"A car that has enough firepower to rival that tank!" Yu answered, barely dodging a volley of missiles. Kobayakawa was still on the previous ramp, started firing on them from his vantage point like artillery, this time aiming for the ramp to try and trap them.

"Ace! Distract him!"

"On it! Aim true Robin!"

Robin Hood materialized, firing arrows back at Kobayakawa. Despite the fact that his body was made of metal, the arrows hit him like he was still flesh and blood. Kobayakawa activated his thrusters and rushed the Persona, which withdrew to Akechi just in time. Kobayakawa crashed through the volcano and went completely through. The team managed to enter the main lobby of the mansion, the chandelier still hanging proudly from above. Yu almost made it to the dual oak doors.

"Alright. Carmen, as soon as we're outside, summon the Mona-mobile and-"

Yu was cut off by Kobayakawa ramming through the door, reducing it to splinters and knocking the Wild Card down. Yu summoned Izanagi and was able to pull himself away from the caterpillar tracks before they could reduce him to a red smear on the marble. Kobayakawa situated himself in the center, while Yu and his team split up; Akechi and Yu on one side, Morgana and Shiho on the other. Kobayakawa began to rotate, like a turret, his two cannons firing an unending barrage wherever he was pointing at, while his machine gun turrets fired non-stop, preventing anyone from popping their heads out of cover. Right now, he was turned to Morgana and Shiho, the tank shells kicking up a storm. Yu saw a piece of rubble hit Morgana, trapping her arm underneath, then heard a loud hissing from Kobayakawa. Missiles were starting to poke out from their miniature holes, ready to finish Yu's allies. Whipping out his pistol, he fired at the exposed warheads, setting them off.

An action that did nothing but angering Kobayakawa in the process.

The furious president now had his attention locked on Yu and Akechi, while Shiho tried to free Morgana, and casting a healing spell when she finally did. Kobayakawa began his assault anew, and the two boys took cover behind a pillar.

"We need a plan Seeker! We can't hope to reach the door without being blown apart!"

"Really Ace?! I had NO idea! And here I was, ready to give us the order to march to certain death! Thank you for your wisdom!"

Another explosion. Akechi was right, they needed to act, and fast. Yu activated his Third Eye and peered through the pillar he was hiding behind. He saw that Kobayakawa was stationed in the center of the room. And centered directly above his metal head…

"Carmen! Try to reach that chandelier and cut it down!"

"On it!"

Morgana sprinted out of cover, and Kobayakawa turned to take her out, falling for the bait hook, line, and sinker.

"Ace! NOW!"

Akechi nodded. The archer revealed himself and let loose a single arrow while Kobayakawa was focused on Morgana. But one arrow was all that was needed to cut down the object directly above Kobayakawa. The chandelier hit him square on the head, creating a sizeable dent in the armor.

"Goddamn brats…can't think…straight…"

"This is our chance! Everyone! Go for an All-Out Attack!" Yu ordered, coming out of cover.

Everyone charged, summoning their Personas, getting up close and personal with their weapons, or even firing their guns, the team did anything and everything to hurt Kobayakawa. By the time they were done, most of the tank's armor had been crushed, bent, melted, or some other form of destruction. Kobayakawa let out a pained scream.

"You damn brats! I will see you all burn for this!"

Suddenly, they heard a very distinct sound come from Kobayakawa: TSCHE-CHU-CHU-CHU-TSCHE. Shortly after, Kobayakawa's armor began to shift and move around.

"Uh oh." Yu muttered just loudly enough for his team to hear.

"Uh oh? What's uh oh?" Morgana asked.

"That sound…"

"What about it?"

"Any Transformers fan worth his salt will know that sound. We have to move, NOW!"

Yu and his friends made a break for it, now finding themselves on the road that lead from the mansion to the airport.

"Carmen!" Yu ordered as they didn't even slow down.

"On it!"

Morgana put her whistle up to her mouth and blew hard. A sudden dust cloud appeared ahead of them, and the Mona-mobile burned rubber to reach them. The group climbed in, Morgana at the helm, when they saw the roof of Kobayakawa's mansion explode. From the rubble and dust, stood an imposing figure.

"Quick, take us to the airport!" Yu instructed.

As soon as the bus began to move, so did the figure in the house. A sudden boom was heard, and everyone looked back to see that the mansion's lobby had been reduced to rubble, and standing proudly in the wreckage was a figure that was no doubt Kobayakawa. But instead of a tank, he was now a humanoid robot. His right hand was replaced with the twin tank cannons, on his shoulders were the Shujin flags, and underneath his feet were all of the thrusters, granting him flight. It didn't take him long to catch up to the group, and when he did, he hovered in front of them, and readied his tank cannons.

"Evasive action!" Yu yelled.

Morgana swerved to avoid getting hit, from a shell, and then another, and another, making Kobayakawa's ammo seem limitless, and everyone knew it would be a matter of time before Morgana screwed up and they got hit.

"What does this thing have?! Seeker said it could take on Kobayakawa when he was a tank!" Shiho exclaimed.

Morgana pushed a button on the dashboard, bringing up a whole arsenal to choose from.

"Take your pick!" Morgana said, barely dodging another shell.

The group flipped through their options. Side flamethrowers, jammers, spike strips…

"Missiles!" Shiho squealed, smashing her thumb against the green button. Outside of the bus, several cartridges full of missiles extended from the sides. Slamming her fist on the 'fire' button, several dozens of missiles fired off, locked right onto Kobayakawa. He activated his machine guns, trying to destroy the missiles before they hit, but there were just too many. The few missiles that survived hit him hard, but not enough to bring him down.

"Alright, what else?" Yu asked as he continued scrolling.

EMP, ejector seats, harpoon…

"Railgun!" He yelled, pushing a button. Suddenly, the bus shook as Kobayakawa finally managed to hit it.

"Warning! Mona-mobile armor is down to 67%." a mechanical voice informed.

"Alright you bastard." Yu growled, aiming the railgun right at Kobayakawa's right foot. Another tank shell landed, reducing the armor to 31%. Yu squeezed the trigger, and a blue energy bolt collided with Kobayakawa, forcing him to flail around to try and stabilize his flight.

"Look! We're almost at the airport!" Akechi yelled.

Yu then targeted the left leg, firing once again, and with the same result. The four cheered as Kobayakawa's last thruster exploded and the president began his fall to Earth.

"Carmen! Ram him! Don't give him a second to recover!"

"On it!"

Morgana activated the turbo boosts as Kobayakawa was starting to get back up.

"Bail! Everyone BAIL!" Yu yelled, jumping out of the bus, the others following suit. The plan was for the bus for the bus to ram the President, leaving him vulnerable to an All-Out Attack. But the giant mech was able to react just in time, slamming his foot into the bus head on, forcing it back and buying him enough time to get up.

"MY BABY! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" Morgana screeched.

"Everyone split up! Carmen, start up the Mona-mobile and try to use whatever it has left to take him down! Everyone else, try to split his attention!" Yu ordered, calling out a giant sludge puddle, which slammed itself into Kobayakawa, which surprisingly left a dent in his chest.

"You little brats! Hundreds more skilled and talented than you have risen to challenge me!" Kobayakawa yelled as he grabbed the slime and crushed it in his hands.

"Then we'll finish what they started! Robin Hood: **Masukukaja!**" Akechi ordered, and soon, a green spiral enveloped all four Tricksters. Kobayakawa tried to launch a tank shell at his arch-nemesis, but Akechi dodged with the grace of a professional ballet dancer. Yu, Shiho, and Morgana too felt more limber, flexible, and agile, easily managing to avoid the tank shells and the resulting explosion and debris.

Morgana had finally managed to start back up the engine and squealed "SHE LIVES!", before getting a wild look in her eye, and grinned maliciously as she turned the car to Kobayakawa. The president slammed his fist down, sending a shockwave that knocked Shiho off her feet, and was about to finish her off, but Morgana had other plans. Firing a harpoon at Kobayakawa, the sharp object pierced his armor just below his neck. She then put the gears in reverse as Yu summoned what could only be described as a living turnip and cast a healing spell on Shiho. Kobayakawa was forced to lean back, taking small baby steps so that he wouldn't lose his balance. The others saw what she was trying to do, and joined in, hitting Kobayakawa in the feet and upper chest to force him to go down, but the mech just wouldn't fall.

"Warning! Warning! Tire blowout imminent!" the Mona-mobile warned, earning a growl from Morgana. The woman then suddenly put the gears in drive position, and the bus sped through and slammed into Kobayakawa's left foot, but she was able to bail at the last moment. The impact destroyed the Mona-mobile for good, but it did the trick; Kobayakawa was forced down to the ground, weak and vulnerable. The group didn't even need Yu's orders for the All-Out Attack.

"_**BOUDICA!"**_

"_**LADY TRIEU!"**_

"_**ROBIN HOOD!"**_

"_**IZANAGI!"**_

Kobayakawa was engulfed in a beautiful maelstrom of fire, lightning, wind, and holy power. Powerless against the onslaught from those he wronged, Kobayakawa could do nothing but wail in agony. Yet even then, the Tricksters didn't let up, pouring every last ounce of power into their attack, if this didn't finish the job, nothing would. Finally, the destruction ceased, and there was quiet once more. Kobayakawa lay on the ground, his once seemingly unbreakable armor was broken, his mighty weapons reduced to twisted scrap, and the once proud banners of Shujin were torn and burned.

His behemoth form faded to ash, and all that was left was a sorry excuse of a man at the mercy of his victims. He grabbed the golden seal stamp and hugged it close, like it was an idol that would save him if he prayed hard enough. The group marched towards him, with the same malice in their eyes that he showed all of them.

"M-mercy… please…" he begged.

"Mercy? Mercy?!" Shiho yelled, grabbing Kobayakawa by the throat.

"After everything you've done to me?! To Ann?! You have a lot of gall to beg for _mercy_!"

"Easy Pariah! If we kill the Shadow, we kill the real Kobayakawa!" Morgana yelped.

"No one will miss him." Shiho countered with burning contempt.

"Maybe so, but if we do this, then we abuse our power for our own personal gain, just like him. We have to be better than that, so let him go." Yu ordered. Shiho, after a few seconds, numbly obeyed.

"P-please… it was all for Shujin's reputa-" he choked out.

"Shut up." Akechi spat.

"You don't care about Shujin, you care about yourself. After I removed Kamoshida, you were afraid that you'd be next, so you quickly took over the power vacuum left behind, intent on saving yourself from justice. All you needed an excuse. A reason to do so many horrible things. And you found that pitiful excuse in Shujin. And you told the lie so much, you started to believe it yourself." Akechi explained.

"I… I…"

"You've committed so many wrongs on so many innocents. We'll let you live, if only to see you pay." Morgana continued.

"Thank you! Thank-"

"We're not doing it for you." Yu interrupted.

Yu walked up to the sorry creature that was Shadow Kobayakawa, and extended his hand. The president, slowly but surely, placed the golden seal stamp in Yu's clawed glove. He looked up at the group, tears in his eyes.

"W-what happens now?"

"Now, you repent." Yu answered.

"Y-yes… I have done so many awful things. This is what I deserve. Goodbye rebels." Kobayakawa said sorrowfully, as he began to turn to a bright light, and then… vanished.

"Good riddance." Akechi sneered.

"Now what?" Shiho asked.

"Oh, now the Palace… uh oh."

"What? What happens to the Palace?" Yu asked.

That's when the ground began to shake, like there was a massive earthquake. Then, a bright orange light began to engulf the pavement. The four looked back and saw the volcano starting to erupt. Everyone looked to Morgana with fearful eyes.

"The Palace is collapsing! We have to exit now, WITH the Treasure!"

"To the Safe Room!" Yu suggested.

"Those won't work! Not with the very essence of the Palace tearing itself apart!"

"Look! The airplane is still around!" Shiho yelled, pointing at the private jet they used to get here.

"Let's go!" Yu ordered, pocketing the Treasure.

"What if the pilots aren't there?!" Akechi asked.

"Then we figure out how to be pilots!"

The four entered, and, much to their surprise, the Shadow pilots were still there.

"What the?! It's the rebels!"

"Take us to the mainland! Now!" Yu ordered, pulling out his gun.

In the panic, the Shadows took off immediately. Before they left, however, Morgana blew into her whistle once again, and the Mona-mobile, or what was left of it, vanished in a puff of smoke. As they barely escaped the lava consuming Kobayakawa's private island, the team took a break. A break that didn't last long as the plane began its descent.

"What did you do?!" Yu demanded.

"If Shujin Nation dies, you die with it!" One Shadow yelled, prompting Yu to kill both of them. Taking the helm, he saw Shujin Nation in the distance, and it didn't look pretty.

"Everyone! We're coming in hard! Get ready to bail!" He yelled, setting the plane on a downward flight, then heading back to the passenger area. Everyone stood ready as the plane got closer and closer to the water.

"Ace, pair up with Carmen! Use your Personas to break your fall!" Yu suggested.

"Alright!" Morgana acknowledged.

"On the count of three! One, two…. THREE!"

Yu and the others jumped out at just the right moment. Taking Yu's advise, each used their Personas to make the landing actually comfortable, Boudica shooting jets of flame, Izanagi hovering, and Lady Trieu using the wind. They landed on the beach, the private jet exploding on impact. They heard screams of terror, and looked to see what all the commotion was. They could only stare in horror at what they were witnessing.

Shujin Nation was experiencing a massive earthquake, with several massive tornadoes to be seen in the distance, and several flies buzzing about like the whole area was just a giant pile of meat for them to feast on. Buildings were falling apart, students were falling and dying, and Shadows struggled to try and maintain a sense of order, and the propaganda that was being spewed out earlier was now just incoherent gibberish. Eventually, Yu was able to snap out of his shock, and nudged his teammates.

"Come on! We have to go, _now_!"

The four made a sprint for the exit, ignoring all of the chaos. The earthquake got worse, as a giant rift was starting to form in the center of Shujin, and it was gaining on them, fast. The team doubled their speed. Yu looked behind him and saw that the ground was giving way to an empty pit, and he forced his legs to run faster, the protesting muscles doing little to dissuade him. He looked at his phone. It was mostly static now, but the purple circle was there, and he was so close. He and his team almost ran out of ground to run on. They were so close. So close to winning, so close to surviving, so close to freedom…

The ground underneath began to give way. Yu closed his eyes, and took a leap of faith as the nation of gluttony finished its collapse.


	26. Tying up Loose Ends

Kobayakawa was on his way to the police station. He had almost been fired from his job because of that brat Shiho. Yu told him she wouldn't squeal, but apparently her savior's life meant less than he thought it did. Now, it was time to follow through with his promise. He pulled out his phone, and looked at the photo of Yu examining a machine pistol, with Akechi and a strange woman behind him. Once he showed this to the police, their lives would be beyond repair.

At that instant, he suddenly felt a massive headache at that thought. When it vanished as suddenly as it came, a tear fell from his cheeks. More victims added to the pile. More tears flowed from his eyes. True, Akechi and Yu might have done something illegal, but it was in retaliation for his actions, and he knew it. It was all to deliver justice on him. They were just children, trying to live their lives, and he put his foot on their throats. He forced them to do this. He deserved to be punished, for everything that he had done.

With his new resolution, Kobayakawa looked at the picture, and continued to march to the Police Station.

* * *

The group found itself in a predicament. After they had entered the purple circle, they were automatically flung back into the real world. The momentum from their panicked sprint made them collide, rather hard too, into a concrete wall, and also each other, leading to them all sprawled out on the ground in a pile. Picking themselves up off the concrete, they took a moment to get their bearings.

"We're… back in the real world." Akechi groaned, still out of breath from the sprint.

"Does that mean… we succeeded?" Shiho asked.

"Well, let's look around for the Treasure." Morgana suggested.

The looking didn't take long, as they found a diploma laying on the sidewalk next to them. Yu bent over and picked it up. He saw the words 'Shujin Academy' on it and his eyes almost popped out.

"What the? This is Kobayakawa's high school diploma!" he exclaimed.

"What?! I thought it was a seal stamp." Akechi pointed out, walking over and examining it.

"Yea, about that…" Morgana began sheepishly.

"Morgana, I swear, if we did all that for nothing…" Yu started.

"The Treasure in the waking world and the Palaces are completely different!" She hastily blurted out.

"What?!" Shiho, Akechi and Yu all yelled at the same time.

"See, when someone brings a Treasure into the waking world, whatever was inside the Palace will transform into whatever was the source of the distortion here in the real world."

"That makes. No sense." Shiho pointed out.

"Their Treasure in the waking world is basically the object that led to the formation of the Palace. So, it was whatever started their ambitions here in the real world. Right?" Yu rephrased.

"Yea!"

"Oh, that makes much more sense. But, does that mean Kobayakawa still has his real diploma?" Shiho asked her teammate.

"Yes. But, since we have this, it meant that we escaped with the Treasure."

There was a moment of silence before Yu asked the inevitable question.

"So what happens now?"

"I don't know. We've done all we can in the Metaverse. Now all that's left is to wait." Was all Morgana could say. The Akechi picked up the diploma and turned to the others.

"If there truly is nothing we can do, then I say we head home."

"And you'll take the diploma with you?"

"Yes, simply because the only person who lives with me is Morgana. I imagine having to explain why you have a diploma that isn't yours to the adults responsible for your well being will be rather difficult." Akechi answered with a pleasant smile.

With nothing else needing to be said, the heroes returned to their respective homes, to await whatever came next.

* * *

Akechi didn't have to wait long. No sooner had he dropped the diploma in the trash did his cell phone start ringing.

"Who is it?" Morgana asked.

"My boss." Akechi answered, picking up.

"Hello Azuma-san. How may I be of service?"

"Hello Akechi. We need you at the station. We have a man come by, claiming he came to turn himself in. Says his name's Kobayakawa, and that he'll talk to you specifically, and only you."

Akechi's grin exploded onto his face.

"Kobayakawa's in the station?! Has he confessed to any crimes?!" He asked, not even trying to hold in his glee.

"Well, he said he's done things 'unbecoming of a teacher', whatever that means."

"I'm on my way! Ensure no one, except maybe Sae-san, speak to him! And get Principle Ushimaru from Shujin down there please."

He turned to Morgana, a gleam in his eyes.

"Call the others and tell them to get to the station! Kobayakawa turned himself in!"

The guide from the Velvet Room opened her phone and frantically began to type.

Morgana: Gush, gytd!

Yu: What are you trying to type?

Morgana: Guys! Guys!

Shiho: What is it Morgana? Did something happen?

Morgana: Yea something happened! Akechi says get to the station, Kobayakawa turned himself in!

Yu: WHAT?!

Shiho: That's great news! Unless he's turning over Yu's blackmail...

Yu: We're on our way!

* * *

Yu and the others had arrived at the station, where Kaneshiro and Morgana were waiting.

"Glad to see you could make it. Akechi's already interrogating him." The cop informed.

"Good. Has he mentioned anything about you-know-what?" Shiho asked. Yu shot a look to Kaneshiro on reaction, to which the cop replied.

"I'm assuming she's talking about the model gun? Relax kid, I ain't a snitch."

"No, and if he did, I'm sure that Akechi will make sure that it's stricken from the records." Morgana informed.

"You're correct on that account Morgana." Akechi said, walking up to the group with the biggest smile any of them had seen on him in a long time, and carrying his suitcase.

"How's the situation looking?" Yu asked.

"It's the best case scenario, for now. Kobayakawa confessed, on tape, and deleted all the blackmail material he had on everyone. All that's needed is for Sae-san to get down here and prosecute the bastard."

"And when will she be here?"

"Right now Narukami." Sae said, walking into the station.

"Hello Sae-san. Thanks for coming on such short notice." Akechi greeted.

"Cut to the chase. Who are we dealing with, and why is he so important? You made him sound like the Prime Minister."

Akechi opened up his suitcase and handed her the papers within. She began to skim through them as Akechi gave her the rundown.

"Yuuto Kobayakawa. Former boxing coach at Shujin Academy." Akechi began, everyone noticing how Sae's eyes widened when Akechi said 'Shujin'. The detective continued.

"He confessed to a number of deplorable crimes. Rape, abuse, assault and blackmail. I've been trying to take him down for years, and I can confirm that all of these claims are true."

"Did he try any of those on Makoto?" Sae growled, visibly starting to crumple the papers.

"No. I suspect he knew that if he did try, she would go straight to you."

Akechi's words cooled the prosecutor's ire. Sae then noticed Shiho and Morgana.

"What are you all doing here?"

"Akechi called the three of us in, as potential witnesses. Shiho especially." Yu lied.

"Oh, that's right, you were his most recent victim, weren't you?"

"That's right." Shiho answered.

"Alright, in that case, follow me. I'll gather your testimonies and use them as evidence."

* * *

Yu sat in the interview room, the last of the four to give their testimonies. Morgana told the story of how she found Shiho busted and bruised, Shiho told about how Ann was forced against her will to date multiple boys to get dirt on them, and how Shiho herself was almost driven to commiting suicide. And finally, Akechi told the whole story of his war with the coach, from the lockup of Kamoshida, to the destruction of his teams, to the calling cards by the Phantom Team. And now, it was Yu's turn. He took a breath to steady himself, and sat down on a leather seat. He had nothing to fear, right?

"Hello Narukami. To be perfectly honest, I hoped we'd never be in this position." Sae greeted, albeit solemnly.

"Well, look on the bright side. I could be the criminal, rather than the victim."

Yu saw Sae allow herself a small smile.

"True enough. But we're here on business, so let's get straight to the heart of the matter."

Sae's hardened features returned as opened her files, then her notebook and pen, and started asking questions.

"First of all, can you tell me how you got involved in this? Tell me everything."

"Well, it all began the day I was born."

"Narukami, I'm trying to do my job. Don't think you're afforded special privileges just because you're in my care."

"Yes Sae-san. Sorry, Sae-san." Yu replied before clearing his throat.

"So, it all began shortly after I arrived at Shujin. I found out that my record was leaked, due to all the whispering from other students. That was when Akechi confronted me and told me about his history with Kobayakawa. After that, a few days had passed, and Kobayakawa summoned me to his office. What Akechi said was true: Kobayakawa had the entire student body under his thumb, and he wanted me to join that number."

"I see, so he obtained blackmail on you. What was it?"

"Sae-san, I'd prefer it stay private, so-"

"Didn't I say tell me everything?"

Yu turned away from her. He had to think of something, and fast. A flush rose in his cheeks as he gave his most believable lie yet.

"It was a video of me dancing in the panda costume."

"You in the panda costume? Dancing?" Sae asked flatly.

"Y-yea."

"Why do you wear that if you're so embarrassed of it?" The wine-red eyed woman questioned.

"It's… comfy."

Sae let out a loud, exasperated sigh before continuing.

"Moving on, Kobayakawa said that the moment school was out, you and Akechi bolted through the doors like cheetahs. I can understand Akechi, he was under suspicion of delivering the calling card. But why did you run?"

"Akechi said that he would have a better chance at surviving Kobayakawa if he had a 'potential witness', and dragged me around until he got the call."

Sae scribbled down some notes.

"Well, your testimony lines up with the others. Thank you Narukami. This trial will be over in a few days. Come on, let's go."

The two got up and Yu gave Sae a small bow before the two returned to the others, all of them, especially Akechi, waiting anxiously.

"What's the news?"

"Honestly, if this keeps up, we might not even need to hold a trial and send him straight to lockup." Sae reported.

"If only." Akechi mused.

"Heh. If only." Sae replied.

Suddenly, the police doors opened and in stepped in Ryuji, Futaba, Ann, and Kawakami.

"Ah, our second batch of witnesses are here." Akechi pointed out.

"Is there something wrong? Are we in trouble?" Kawakami asked, her eye bags even more prominent without makeup.

"Oh, quite the opposite. Kobayakawa has turned himself in, confessed to his crimes, and destroyed all blackmail evidence." Akechi informed.

The news was met with a mix of surprise, joy, and relief. Kawakami clasped her hands around her mouth as tears of joy flowed forth. Futaba visibly recoiled, Ryuji's jaw dropped, while Ann jumped for joy.

"For real?!" Ryuji cried out.

"S-so… that calling card… wasn't a prank?" Futaba asked.

"It would appear that way." Yu answered.

"And speaking of the calling card, I would to ask you all… what do you think about this so-called 'Phantom Team'?" Sae asked.

"Well if those Phantom Team guys are for real, then they got my support." Ryuji answered enthusiastically.

"Well, they said they'd make Kobayakawa confess, and that's what he did. So long as he's gone, I'm happy." Ann added.

"Everyone's happy to see that bastard gone, believe me." Kawakami continued.

"Their calling card could be worded better, but hey, I'll take what I can get." Futaba finished.

"So, you're all in support of them?"

"Hell yea!" Ryuji answered, to which the others simply nodded.

"Alright then. Now, if you could follow me, we'll get started."

Sae and the new arrivals went down the hall, leaving Akechi, Yu, Shiho, and Morgana alone. They walked to a secluded corner, where they could talk in private.

"Now what?" Shiho asked.

"Now, we celebrate. We traveled across an ocean, infiltrated a military compound, scaled an active volcano, fought a giant mech/tank hybrid, and _won _. A little rest and relaxation is the least we deserve." Yu suggested.

"I agree. Anyone have any ideas as to how?" Morgana asked.

"Well, Sae-san still owes me a celebration party from when we took down Madarame. I could let her off the hook and say it's for the four of us." Akechi suggested.

"That sounds perfect. How about an all-you-can eat buffet?" Yu asked.

"Will there be sushi there?!" Morgana asked excitedly.

"Sushi, fried fish, chocolate, deviled eggs, steaks, and even delicious pancakes!" Akechi answered, Morgana's excitement infecting him.

"When will we do it?" Shiho asked.

"How about Children's Day? It's the last day of Golden Week, and that's just around the corner." Akechi asked.

"Then it's settled. Akechi will try to get Sae-san to reserve us a spot at an all-you-can eat buffet, and then we feast to our hearts' content." Yu finished.

The three gave a nod to show they understood their leader. With nothing else to discuss, the four split up and headed to their respective homes. As he was on the train, Yu sent a single text to all of them.

Yu: Good job everyone. You should be proud of yourselves.

"We couldn't have done it without you!" was the reply.

* * *

Sae sat in her office alone, finishing the last of the paperwork that would put Kobayakawa behind bars. As she finished up, he mind began to drift. Specifically, to the calling card. Just who, or what, was the 'Phantom Team'? The most obvious culprit would be Akechi, but she couldn't rule out the possibility that it was someone who knew that Akechi had issues with Kobayakawa and would exploit that to cover their tracks. Not to mention, according to both him and the other witnesses, he's been having this feud since his first year of high school. It could be that it wasn't even a student, but a faculty member that got tired with the Coach. No. If it was, they would have gone to the police, and if it was Akechi, he would have done it sooner. The 'Team' could either be a group of people, or one person. A student, one who would have the will to fight Kobayakawa, rather than bow down.

Sae began to think. She may not have Akechi's astounding luck and deductive skills, but she was still intelligent, and her intuition never failed her before. She mentally put together a profile, and started looking though who would match it. A student who just arrived at Shujin and had an axe to grind against Kobayakawa, and was both clever and skillful enough to avoid attention. The public display of a calling card also showed that the 'Phantom Team' believed itself in the right, suggesting that they have a strong sense of personal justice and thus, were willing to be judged by the people. Right then her intuition spoke a single name to her.

** Yu Narukami.**

Her brow furrowed, thinking back to her spar with Narukami. He refused to give up, to let himself stay down, even though it was clear that he couldn't win. On top of the fact that he tried to help someone getting mugged, despite already being told numerous times to not get into trouble. And then there's the fact that, despite his record being leaked, he had no trouble forming friends. Granted, they were from circumstance, but still, it would be enough to form a team.

Sae leaned against her chair and shook her head. She was jumping to conclusions, just like in the car when Narukami first got here, or when he offered to get on her good side. And yet, the nagging feeling that Narukami was the one she was looking for persisted. She sighed and shrugged. Narukami would be working for her this Sunday. She would observe him then, and if she spotted anything suspicious, then, and only then, would she investigate. She did promise to give him a chance, fair and square.

With that thought in mind, the silver-haired prosecutor went back to work.


	27. The Team is Forged

Yusuke Kitagawa sat on the roof of his highschool, Kosei High, a canvas at the ready, his brushes ready to paint whatever his heart desired. Except what his heart desired, he could not paint. In front of him was a girl many in his school swooned over, and a boy sitting opposite of her. In between them was a Shogi board.

"Check." The girl stated calmly, moving a piece into the proper position. Her opponent sunk his head low, declaring that he conceited.

The girl began to pack up her materials, and as she left to the exit, Yusuke grabbed her arm.

"Wait Hifumi. I would like to talk to you. Please." He requested.

The girl, Hifumi, nodded and sat down. She had dark black hair going down to her shoulders, dark green eyes, and in her hair was a red ribbon accessory resembling a three-leaf clover and a rope. She wore the standard Kosei uniform, with a dark blue knee-length skirt, a white dress shirt though, unlike Yusuke, she had a navy blue blazer with a star on it on top. Engraved on the star was the number two. She looked Yusuke dead in the eyes.

"What is it Yusuke? Need more time to finish?"

"There's nothing to finish." Yusuke said, revealing that his canvas was just as blank as the day it was made. Hifumi's eyes widened in shock.

"You didn't paint anything? Why?" She calmly asked, more confused than anything. It wasn't like Yusuke to not even attempt a drawing.

"Because you gave me nothing to paint with." Yusuke replied.

"What do you mean?" Hifumi asked.

"In the past, it's not just your incredible beauty, but your unique playing spirit that I attempt to capture in my art. That spirit wasn't here today. In fact, it hasn't been here for the past few weeks. If I tried to put you to canvas now, it would be like painting a doll; no life or substance. At first, I thought maybe you weren't feeling well, or having a bad day. But this has persisted long enough. I cannot ignore this. Not after Madarame. I beg you; please tell me what's wrong." Yusuke explained.

Hifumi turned her gaze to the ground, as if she thought that if she didn't look at him, Yusuke would give up this line of questioning. But this only prompted him to continue.

"I know I'm most likely prying into personal matters, but I consider you one of my few, if not only, friends in this school. I want to help you, just like you did with me after Madarame."

Hifumi bit her lip. True, she also considered Yusuke to also be one of her closest friends. He was the only boy who didn't want to know her because of her looks, and he didn't get weirded out by her… tendencies while playing shogi. And he did trust her enough to let her help with the Madarame case. And the only reason he was talking to her now was because he really was worried. She took in a deep breath.

"It's my mother." She began, Yusuke leaning in to catch every detail.

* * *

Yu was in the middle of a lecture by Kawakami, who was looking much better than when he saw her yesterday. In fact, the whole school seemed to be a much brighter place with Kobayakawa removed. The air of oppression was gone, like a winter blizzard finally giving way to a radiant spring.

News had also broken about Kobayakawa's arrest, with Ushimaru condemning his actions, and applauding the actions of the mysterious 'Phantom Team' for bringing him down. In fact, the whole school was abuzz about the Team. Who were they? How did they do it? Will they strike again? A lot of people were saying that the Team was Akechi and Makoto, but other students said that maybe the Team was using that knowledge to cover their identities. And some even went so far as to say that they were a supernatural force. Despite Kawakami's best efforts, people refused to be quiet about them. Yu smiled, glad that they were finally talking about something other than him. Well, they technically were talking about him, but still. His phone buzzed, and he looked at the newly received text.

Akechi: I have excellent news everyone!

Shiho: You got Sae to give us the reservation?!

Akechi: I did! Now, Sae-san won't be able to join us on account of the case, and sadly, Makoto-san has rejected my offer to join us.

Morgana: How is that a bad thing? We'll be able to talk freely among ourselves.

Akechi: True, but I hoped Makoto-san would be there.

Yu: Maybe next time buddy. You got it on Children's Day, correct?

Akechi: Of course.

Yu: Perfect. Let me know if anyone has to make any last-minute changes, but otherwise, hope to see you all there in a few days.

Shiho: Wouldn't miss it for anything.

The final bell rang, and Yu realized that, for the first time in a long time, he was free to do however he pleased. But before he left for the station, he couldn't help but notice a girl struggling with some plant fertilizer. She wore a pink turtleneck cardigan with short puffed sleeves and a long-sleeved white shirt underneath, as per uniform regulations. The cardigan was zipped open up to her navel, and has two large pockets on the front. She also had the standard red and black Shujin skirt, white tights with a black flower pattern and black Mary Jane shoes. Yu decided to offer his assistance, temporarily forgetting about his reputation.

"Excuse me miss, would you like a hand with that?" He asked.

The woman turned around, her chestnut hair was cut in short waves, giving it the appearance of fluffiness. She had hazel eyes, and…

_ Oh my God, look at the size of that forehead. You could write a paragraph on that thing. _

"Oh hello. Aren't you that criminal everyone was talking about? Yu Narukami?" She asked in the sweetest voice possible.

"O-oh. Yea, I am, but-"

"I would love some help! These bags are much too heavy to lift alone." The young woman exclaimed.

"Oh, ok. Where do you… want them?" Yu grunted, hauling three very heavy bags up.

"The roof, if you please." She also grunted, picking up one bag.

_ Of course that's where they need to be. _

Once they opened the doors, Yu saw a beautiful garden. It wasn't a flower garden, but one that had fruits and vegetables starting to sprout. Yu set his bags down, and the girl followed suit, placing all the bags in one neat pile. Once they were done, Yu and the girl collapsed on nearby seats, taking in deep gulps of air.

"Thank you so much for your help. I think I can take it from here." The girl said, getting up.

"No problem. Did you start this all by yourself?"

"Mhm. It's been my hobby since my first year. No one comes up here, so it's my little secret."

"Heh. Bet you regretted it once Kobayakawa found out."

"Oh, he found out, but he knew better than to try and blackmail me." She pointed out, a sweet smile on her face.

"Oh yea? And what makes you special?"

"My name is Haru Okumura." From the way she said it, you'd think she was the second coming of Jesus.

"I… have no idea who you are."

At that news, Haru's already sweet smile got even sweeter, now radiating pure joy.

"Oh really?"

"Yea. Should I do my research?"

"NO! I-I mean, please don't. Too many people try to mooch off me as is."

"Ah, so your an heiress then? Or at least very rich?"

"Correct. Okumura Foods, though you may know us as Big Bang Burger."

"Wow. With that much wealth, I would've thought you'd get a private tutor."

"My father strongly argued for it, but I wanted to go to a regular high school, to try and make friends. But the closest ones are Mako-chan and Akechi-kun, and even they only talk to me to discuss school or legal matters."

"So your only friends are the plants."

"Correct. And before you ask, no, I do not talk to the plants."

"Haha! So why a garden? Why not pets to keep you company?"

"Oh, I don't have to pick up a plant's poop."

Yu was left speechless both at how nonchalant she said that sentence, and that she said it with a straight face.

"Oh."

"Yes."

"Um…. D-Do you need me to stick around?"

"I would appreciate the assistance, yes. And the company."

"Alright. I don't have much of a green thumb, so you'll have to tell me what to do."

"That's fine. I stumbled a few times myself when I started out. First thing you do is-"

The two went at it for a long time, discussing tips and tricks to how to maintain a garden, how deep to bury a seed, histories of different plants, how to cook each one, and so on. The process went on for hours and hours on end, until finally, the sun began to set. Yu got up, dirt and dust caking his pants and hands. Haru stood up as well, dusting herself off. Both looked at the time and exchanged looks.

"Well, we managed to get everything done, and there's still light out. That's a first." Haru said with a small smile.

"Heh. Yea, gardening isn't for those who lack patience, that's for damn sure."

"We should be leaving. With the plants all taken care of, we don't have a reason to stay here." Haru said, walking through the door to the school. Once they got past the gates, Haru spoke up again.

"It was nice meeting you Naru-chan. You aren't nearly as scary as everyone says."

"It was nice meeting you too Okumura-senpai."

"Oh, no need for honorifics. Just call me Haru."

"Ok Haru. This was way more fun than I thought it would be."

"Me too. I've tended to the soil up there at least 2,386 times, and this was easily both the fastest, and the most fun."

"I'm glad. Have a safe trip back home."

As Yu started to walk away, he heard Haru call to him.

"Naru-chan! Will I ever see you again? Up there, I mean!"

"Sure! I'll try to stop by every now and again!" Yu yelled back.

Even from as far as they were, Yu could still see the sweet smile as he walked back to the apartment.

_I am thou. Thou art I. _

_Thou hast acquired a new vow. _

_It shall become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth. _

_With the birth of the _**_Sun_**_Arcana _

_Thou hast obtained the blessing that will grant thee new power. _

* * *

It was finally Children's Day. The day Yu and his friends received their just rewards for what they did. Yu was dressed in a regular white polo shirt tucked into some jeans as he headed to the address Akechi sent them. He either got there first, or everyone else was inside. He pulled out his phone to ask until he heard his name being called.

"Yu! Yuuuuuuuuuu!" The voice was full of joy and excitement. At first, Yu assumed that it was Morgana, but after turning around, he saw that it was instead none other than Shiho. His jaw dropped at how beautiful she was.

She was dressed in a red, cold shoulder, lace blouse with a giant blue heart on her chest, along with a pair of jeans that fit her like a glove, knee high leather high-heels, and a pair of small, ruby earrings. Her usual ponytail was gone and in its place, her hair was tied up in a Bohemian Bride style braid. She also wore light makeup on her eyes, lips, and cheeks.

"Hey, you look gorgeous." Yu greeted automatically.

"Aww, thank you! You don't look too bad yourself, leader. You rock the simple look." She complimented, making him blush.

"T-thanks."

"Hey, is everyone inside already? I haven't eaten anything in preparation for this!"

"Nope, Akechi is on the phone with the grown up evil-eye. He'll be here soon enough." Morgana answered, walking up to the two.

"Oh hey Morgana, you look rather nice." Shiho pointed out, looking at her companion.

"Thanks! When I heard that this was a place where apparently the higher citizens went to mingle, I asked Akechi to help me pick something out."

Morgana spun around to show off her clothes. It was a black long-sleeved sundress with yellow cat paws decorating it, and held at the waist by her 'V' belt. Her raven black hair was done with in long, cascading curls, and unlike Shiho, she didn't wear any makeup.

"Hello everyone. Glad to see you made it. Shall we head inside?" Akechi asked, dressed in his usual old man clothes.

The team all nodded and went inside. Despite some doubt from the receptionist about how people so young could afford a reservation here, she was eventually forced to let them pass. What they saw when they arrived at the buffet made their hearts dance with delight. Food from breakfast, to lunch, to dinner, to dessert were stretched as far as the eye could see. Morgana took straight off to get themselves a table and the second she left, Yu saw someone spot them and make a beeline straight for them.

"Alright, while Morgana's getting us a table, everyone grab a plate and dig in! We're allowed an hour and a half, so let's make the most of it." Akechi said.

By now, the man was standing right behind Akechi, and when the detective turned around, he let out a small gasp. Then he gave a look of relief, then annoyance, then confusion. The man gave a devilish smirk, and addressed the red-eyed student.

"Goro Akechi. The Detective Prick."

The man appeared to be no older than they were, and he exuded an aura of cockiness. He had dark, unkempt hair, to the point of it being considered frizzy. He wore a pair of jeans, a plain white t-shirt and a black unbuttoned vest. He also had a pair of glasses, but behind those glasses were deep grey eyes, not unlike Yu's. And just like Yu's, these eyes held a fire behind them, one that would never be put out, and would only come back stronger if someone tried. Akechi smirked when he turned around, seeming to recognize this man.

"Akira Kurusu. Living proof that Jesus' death was for nothing." Akechi replied with a lighthearted chuckle.

"It's good to see you alive and kicking." Akira stated, holding out a hand for a high-five, which Akechi returned.

"Akira. Please don't tell me you've come back to Shujin." Shiho replied with a wince.

"Nah Shiho, nothing of the sort. In fact, believe it or not, I'm here on business."

"What kind of business?" Shiho asked, suspicious.

"Afraid I can't tell you. Top secret work. But don't worry, it's perfectly legal."

"You always say that when it's illegal." Shiho replied.

"If you want Shiho, you could hang out with me to confirm. I promise to make it worth your while." Akira suggested with a sly wink and cheeky grin.

"Care to introduce us?" Yu asked, jealous anger starting to rise up.

"Ah yes, that's right. Akira, meet Yu Narukami." Akechi greeted.

"Narukami? Of course, I should have guessed. At first I thought you were some old man, and Akechi brought you here to discuss a case."

"What made you think I'm old?"

"Your hair is grey, and it's in a bowl cut. Only old guys have bowl cuts."

"Oh that's a load of BS."

"No it really isn't. Go back to school, see how many young people have bowl cuts."

"Well at least I don't have a mop for hair." Yu retorted.

"Ahahaha! I like this guy, Akechi. Oh, and I heard that Kobayakawa is finally locked up. Congrats."

"Thank you Akira. In fact, that's why we're here; to celebrate his removal."

"Really? Because I heard it was a group called the Phantom Team, not you, that put him away."

"True, but we were all victims, so we're all celebrating all the same. How have you been, Akira?"

"I've been great. Made a few new friends at Gekkoukan High. There's the one rich girl who totally has the hots for me. She just doesn't know it yet." Akira answered, getting an eye roll from Shiho in response.

"In fact, I've joined a club there. Very special, and exclusive. How exclusive? You don't ask to be a part of it. You get asked." Akira continued, his devilish smirk returning.

"Well it's standards must be pretty low if it's asking you." Yu replied, but this only made Akira's smirk grow even bigger.

"And their standards would be even lower if they asked the son of a drunk, washed-up cop to join."

As soon as those words left Akira's lips, Yu's anger spiked.

"You take that back!" Yu demanded, ready to lunge at Akira, but Akechi stepped between the two, stopping a potential fight before it began. Akira's watch beeped and he took a step back, his grin never faltering.

"Well, it looks like the guy I'm supposed to meet is going to be here soon. You guys have fun. See ya." Akira said, turning around and walking to the elevators.

"Akechi, who was that guy?" Yu asked, his anger still in his voice.

"That was Akira Kurusu, my rival at school."

"Your rival?"

"Yes. Akira and Akechi were very alike. Both were popular with the ladies, highly intelligent, highly athletic, and worked with other people in mind" Shiho started.

"The difference is that I like to work within the rules, whereas Akira preferred to bend, if not outright break them. And he was damn good at hiding his tracks, to the point that only I was able to uncover what he was up to. But, he did enjoy helping people, though I think it's because of the fame that came with it." Akechi finished.

"Hey guys, what are you standing around for? We have a limited window to eat, don't we?" Morgana asked, returning with two plates full of sushi and other sea food.

* * *

After the group had gotten their fair share of food, they each returned to the table Morgana claimed for them and dug in. Akechi got mountains upon mountains of pancakes, waffles, bacon and sausage. Morgana stuffed her plates with sushi, fatty tuna, and every other kind of fish that the buffet had to offer. Shiho piled herself with steak, pork ribs, and other kinds of meats, with some chocolate sweets. Yu was feasting on a mix of all those, along with some beans and veggies thrown in. For a time, the group was content with reaping their hard-earned reward, but it wasn't long before their bodies began to voice their displeasure.

"Hey guys, I need to use the bathroom." Shiho said, clutching her stomach.

"Yea, me too." Morgana added.

"As do I." Akechi also added.

"Let's go. Man, eating a ton of food at once is a lot more work than anime makes it out to be." Yu stated, grabbing his stomach.

* * *

Unfortunately, the building had its restrooms down on the bottom floor, most likely to make room for more food at the buffet area. But, the group was able to make it in time before anything too disastrous happened. After relieving themselves, they were now standing by the elevators, ready to head back up.

"We still have approximately 30 more minutes." Akechi said, looking at his watch.

"Yea. You know, I still have some room for dessert." Yu said.

"Oh, I can show you where." Shiho replied.

"Yea, show me too. I wanna see what a-OUCH!" Morgana cried out, a man shoving himself past her. And he wasn't alone. Standing with him were several mean-looking men, presumably his bodyguards. He was completely bald, and had a stubble of a beard, and yellow-tinted glasses that were half-rimmed at the bottom.

"I don't care if it could be an isolated incident. I want this investigated, thoroughly." He ordered. Yu suddenly felt a sense of deja vu upon hearing this man's voice.

_ His voice… where have I heard it from? _

"Excuse me. We were here first." Akechi pointed out.

"Yes, what of it?" One of the men asked. The leader turned to Akechi.

"Apparently, this place's standards have dropped since I last came here. Have they opened a daycare?" He mocked.

"Hey!" Morgana called, walking to the man, only to be shoved back by one of the bodyguards, forcing her to land on her butt. There was a ding, signaling the elevator.

"Don't bother. We have better things to do than deal with brats." The leader told them, and they soon followed him into the elevator. Shiho helped Morgana up.

"You ok?"

"Yea, I'm fine. But what jerks! Can't even let us have a damn elevator." Morgana answered, rubbing her sore butt.

"Come on. Let's take the stairs." Yu suggested.

* * *

The celebration was almost over. By now, everyone had almost their fill of cookies, cake, and other sweets. Right now, they were waiting for Akechi to get them some milkshakes so that they could make a toast, then they would lounge around, waiting for the time to run out. Akechi arrived with some milkshakes, one last thing before they left.

"Here you go everyone. A toast, if you please."

They all leaned forward, grabbed a milkshake and with a _clink _, Akechi made his toast.

"To end of President Kobayakawa's reign. May no one ever come to take his place."

"It was fun while it lasted." Shiho added, pulling her straw out and blowing the wrapper to hit Yu's face, to which he responded in kind.

"Wait… that's it? We're going to disband?" Morgana asked, confused.

"I'm afraid so. We all gathered to see Kobayakawa removed, correct?" Akechi asked, albeit with a forlorn look.

Yu was ready to agree with Akechi, but then he remembered the words of his contract. If the world was to survive, he would need to find the truth, and according to Igor, that truth was whoever really brought him to Tokyo, and why. And as of right now, Yu had no leads other than the Metaverse. If he wanted to go at this, he knew he couldn't go alone.

"But why stop at Kobayakawa?" He asked, earning a pause from the others.

"What are you getting at Yu?" Shiho asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, it's just that…. We have the ability to change people's hearts, to make criminals confess and put them away, when no one else is able to. Corrupt bankers, assassins, crime bosses, corporate businessmen. There is so much good we can do with the Metaverse. So I say we stick together, that we use this gift we have to remove people like Kobayakawa, and be heroes to people who are being hurt because of them." Yu explained.

"You don't have to ask me twice!" Morgana exclaimed.

"I like the sound of being a hero. I'm in." Akechi said, not even trying to hide his smirk.

"Count me in too. If there's people out there who are hurting others like Kobayakawa was, then I want to take them down." Shiho said, slamming her fist into her open palm.

"Alright, but if we're going to do this, there's a rule I'd like to have: After we find a potential target, we only go after them once we've unanimously agreed to so." Yu suggested.

"I like that. That way, no one goes behind the others' backs for their own reasons." Akechi approved.

"Yea, me too. Makes it seem like we're in a pact!" Shiho said excitedly.

"Alright then. I say we keep calling ourselves the Phantom Team, unless someone has something better?" Morgana questioned.

"I have something better." Yu stated.

Everyone leaned in close as he paused for effect.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"The Hamburglars."

* * *

_ Dear Diary: _

_ Well, we did it. Kobayakawa's now locked up, and I hope they threw away the key. To celebrate, we went to an all-you-can-eat buffet. Despite some assholes present, notably this one jackass that looked like Pitbull, and a smug bastard named Akira, we managed to have a fun time. To say Shiho looked stunning would not do her justice. And speaking of justice, we decided to continue our work in the Metaverse. I suggested we change our group name to the Hamburglars, but my friends have _**no** _sense of humor, so we're sticking to the 'Phantom Team'. This year has only just begun, and I can't wait to see what awaits us._


	28. A New Phandom

With the celebration now over, Yu was fast asleep, a smile on his face as he began to dream. He soon awakened to the sound not of chains, but of clapping. He opened his eyes and saw that he was in the Velvet Room, and the clapping was coming from none other than Igor himself, his cheshire grin displayed proudly. Even Caroline and Justine had gentle smiles on their faces. Yu got up and approached the bars of his cell.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. It appears congratulations are in order." Igor stated cheerfully.

"Well done inmate." Justine congratulated.

"Not bad inmate, not bad. Though, it would have been better if you didn't have a break down at the start." Caroline added.

"Now now Caroline, this is supposed to be a joyous occasion." Igor reminded.

"Sorry master." Caroline apologised.

"Regardless, well done on expelling a glutton of sin from your life. You've made great strides in your rehabilitation. And yet…"

Igor snapped his fingers, and the contract Yu signed hovered in front of him

"The contract has not been fulfilled. Ruin still approaches."

"How do I stop it?" Yu asked, determination in his voice.

"The same way you stopped the glutton; with friends at your side." Justine answered.

"Don't underestimate the power of bonds, inmate. Like we said earlier, the power of your bonds will determine the power of your Personas, and vice versa." Caroline added.

"That didn't answer my question."

"You must do as you have up until now; remove distortion from the world. Continue your quest to expunge tyrants from your society, and uncover the truth." Igor explained.

"Ok, so keep infiltrating Palaces and stealing Treasures. Got it."

"Wait a moment inmate!" Caroline cried out.

"What is it?"

"Because my sister and I care about your well-being, we've come up with a list of challenges to complete." Caroline explained.

"These challenges range from acquiring Personas with certain skills, to defeating certain enemies, to obtaining unique items. With each challenge complete, a new service of the Velvet Room will be available to you." Justine continued. Yu read the list. There were ten in all, and the first one was obtain a Jack Frost with a Bufula skill. Whipping it out, the twins regarded it, then each other.

"My my my. It would appear our guest is more resourceful than we gave him credit for." Igor mused.

"Wow. I honestly didn't expect that. Well… uh… good job. But that's only the beginning! You're going to have to work hard at the others!" Caroline snapped.

"Let him have this Caroline. Though she is correct, it will only get harder from here on out, but I am most pleased that you've gotten a head start."

Yu could feel the expectations from the twins, and was determined to exceed them.

_I am thou. Thou art I. _

_Thou hast acquired a new vow. _

_It shall become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth. _

_With the birth of the _**_Strength_**_Arcana _

_Thou hast obtained the blessing that will lead thee to new power. _

And with that, the bell rang. Yu walked over to his prison bed, and closed his eyes.

* * *

A good few days had passed since Children's Day, and Akechi had gone to work, trying to find suitable people for them to target. Yu was sitting quietly at his desk, doing some homework, when he suddenly felt his phone buzz. Pulling it out, he saw an unrecognizable logo on his screen. A giant black blob with shark teeth, blue eyes, a pair of cat ears, with a tail lit up, like it was a fuse. Beneath the image were two sentences.

"Greetings, Yu Narukami. I am Alibaba."

"Who are you, and how did you get my number?" Was his hasty reply.

"I already told you, I am Alibaba. As to getting your number… well, let's just say I have my ways."

"So you're a hacker."

"Guilty as charged, but we have more important matters to discuss. Like your work with the Phantom Team."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do. Removing Kobayakawa helped many, but it is not enough."

"What do you want?"

"It's not a matter of what _I _want, but what other people want."

Yu wanted to know who this person was. He closed his eyes and sent Izanagi out. He knew that the god would be unable to trace the hack, or force the hacker out of his phone, but he had a sneaking suspicion of who this "Alibaba" was in the real world, and Izanagi could confirm _that _. Unfortunately, the lunch bell rang, forcing Yu to recall his Persona. He took one last look at his phone, and saw the final text from Alibaba.

"Consider this a present. From me, to you."

"What is this?" He typed, only to get an 'Error; address does not exist' message. He wasn't exactly keen on clicking on random links from strangers, but then he heard Izanagi talk.

** Look at what the link contains. 'Phansite'.**

_ We can't trust a random link. Especially from a complete stranger. _

** Except that complete stranger knew that we're members of the Phantom Team. They could have blackmailed us outright.**

_ Or maybe this link is the blackmail. _

** Only one way to find out.**

Yu pressed the link, and to his surprise it took him to a website dedicated to the Phantom Team. Specifically, it held up requests of people who wanted the Team to steal a certain heart. Most of them were stupid; a friend owing someone money, an ex who cheated on someone, and so forth. Most of them didn't even provide a name, though Yu figured that it was to be expected, most people probably didn't even know the Team needed one. He let out a heavy sigh. At the very least, they might be able to determine their next target from this. He got out his lunch and started eating, then texted the others.

Yu: Guys, have any of you heard of something called the 'Phansite'?

Shiho: No, I haven't. What is it?

Akechi: It's apparently a sight where people can post the names of people whose hearts they want changed.

Shiho: Really? Then it should be good practice for us while we're deciding who our next target is? Maybe we can check to see if one of those names has a Palace?

Akechi: An excellent suggestion.

Yu: There's more.

Shiho: Really?

Yu: The person who created this goes by the name 'Alibaba'. And he knows I'm a member of the Team.

Akechi: Has he tried to blackmail you?

Yu: Not yet.

Akechi: We have to look into this.

Yu: I'm already looking into it. I have a pretty good idea as to who it is already. I just need to wait until Alibaba contacts me again. If my hunch is wrong, then we can start investigating. I don't want another Kobayakawa so soon.

Akechi: Agreed. And it's even worse since we don't know Alibaba's real name, so we can't steal his heart if he has a Palace.

Shiho: Guys, maybe you're overreacting. Maybe Alibaba is a fan and just wants to help?

Yu: Then why didn't he use his real name to contact us?

Shiho: …. Good point.

Akechi: In any event, we should look into this 'Phansite' and what it can do for us. Let us meet up at the Shibuya station entrance.

* * *

Yu sat around with Shiho at the subway, waiting for Akechi to arrive with Morgana. He noticed Shiho pacing herself back and forth, and decided to speak up.

"Nervous?"

"Oh? U-um… no."

"Shiho, your acting is as bad as Ann's."

"Oh come on, no one is as bad as Ann."

"Well, you're coming pretty close."

Shiho let out a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes.

"You know we're friends now, right? If there's something bothering you, then I want to help." Yu stated.

"I know, it's just, I don't want to burden you with my problems."

Yu placed a hand on Shiho's shoulder and smiled tenderly.

"You're not a burden. Not to me." He said, earning a small smile from Shiho in response.

"It's my parents." She finally said, her smile vanishing.

"Are they still mistreating you?"

"Yes… and no. See, they want me to still do the best I can, but they're more passive aggressive about it."

"How do you mean?"

"Well… they told me that if I wanted to continue hanging out with you, Ann and the others, I had to score top marks on the midterm."

"Oh, that doesn't sound too bad."

"They said 'if you care about hanging out with that filthy criminal, we'll accept nothing less than the best scores.'"

"Ouch. That doesn't sound passive-aggressive."

"Yea. I like to believe that they've changed, but…"

"You'd think they'd be more gentle on you after the…um…"

"Suicide attempt?"

"I was going to say incident."

"Yea. Hey, just so you know, in the future, I don't want you to dumb things down or feel like you have to say certain things because of what happened to me. I want you to see me as Shiho Suzui, not That-Girl-Who-Almost-Killed-Herself."

"Alright. And, if you want, I can help you study for midterms."

"That sounds awesome! I'd love to spend more time with you!" As soon as she registered what she said, Shiho's eyes widened, and a blush started to form on her cheeks.

"F-for study purposes, of course! B-But, that's not to say that I won't mind spending time with you outside of school. As friends, of course!" She stuttered, making Yu chuckle.

"You're adorable."

This only caused her cheeks to turn an even deeper shade of red. Luckily for her, Akechi and Morgana had arrived, and Morgana was shaking her head.

"You know, since this is going to become a regular thing, it would be best if we didn't have to wait for me to catch up." Morgana said.

"Well, if you want, you can wait outside of school for us." Yu suggested.

"I have a much better idea! I want to go to your school with you!" Morgana replied.

"What? Morgana, I don't think we can do that. There's a ton of paperwork involved, and you simply don't meet the requirements. We've talked about this." Akechi replied, shaking his head.

"True, BUT! As luck would have it, we have someone Ushimaru owes a favor to for saving Shiho." Morgana replied, staring hard at Yu.

"Oh that's right. But do you think that Ushimaru will consider it reasonable?" Shiho asked

"Only one way to find out. But let's focus on what we came here to do." Yu answered.

"Ah yes, this Phansite. Let's take a look." Morgana said as the others huddled around Yu, looking through the requests.

"Bah, most of these are lame. We need something serious, something that we actually should do." Morgana complained.

"Oh here's one." Yu said, pointing at one request.

"Dear Phantom Team. I work as a part time model, and I've had this rivalry with a girl named Mika Aina, a healthy rivalry that pushed both of us to get better. But I've recently been hearing rumors that she's been messing with company resources, misdirecting other models so that she can take their place and start rising to the top. I don't have any proof, but if she really is doing this, could you give her a change of heart? -Lovers 06" Shiho read out loud.

"Well, better than nothing. Let's give it a try." Yu said, activating the Meta-Nav to put in her name.

But the second he touched the app, the world began to swirl around around them, their eyesight becoming distorted, and throbbing headaches hammered at their skulls. They were all forced to close their eyes, and when they opened them, the world had changed. First, all of the people were gone, and the four immediately looked around to see if they accidentally dragged someone in, soon releasing a collective sigh of relief was released upon finding that they were the only ones here. Then they noticed something else: The sky was blood red, there were black and red cracks emerging from the Shibuya Railway entrance that criss-crossed the whole city like lightning, and they were in their Metaverse outfit.

"What happened? We didn't input any keywords into the Nav. How come we're in the Metaverse?" Yu asked, turning to Morgana.

"Well, as I said before, Palaces are extremely distorted pockets of the Metaverse, exclusive to those whose twisted desires are cranked up to 11. But, those are the special cases. For everyone else, they still have distorted desires, but it's not nearly enough to warrant a Palace. As such, there's a special Palace, one that belongs to everyone in Tokyo. That Palace is called… Mementos. And that's its entrance." The guide explained, pointing to the entrance of the subway.

"So, if we enter the name of someone who doesn't have a Palace into the app…" Yu started, putting in Mika Aina.

"Candidate found in Mementos." Came the Meta-Nav's response. It then pulled up a map, but instead of a map in the traditional sense, it showed the subway entrance, and underneath it, an "!" in bright red in the otherwise blank space that took up the rest of the screen.

"Hey Morgana, how else is Mementos different from other Palaces?"

"Well, for starters, it is much _much _larger, and as such, its divided into blocks. Each block shifts around constantly, as people always view the same thing differently. Also, each block is swarming with Shadows, but being spotted won't raise Memento's security levels, since the only way to do that is to do something that makes the entire population of the city to see you as a threat."

"How deep does it go?"

"_Deep _. I don't know how much, but according to master Igor, if we were to dedicate all of our time to clearing Mementos and reaching the bottom, it would take about three weeks."

"Wow. But since this Palace is so massive, then that means we can battle Shadows for hours and hours on end. We'd be juiced up for Palaces in no time!" Shiho pointed out.

"Actually, that's the final thing. Mementos is also home to a _very _powerful Shadow, one whose power exceeds both a Champion of Ruin, and a Wild Card."

Morgana's voice suddenly dropped, and she turned around to look at the subway entrance, almost as if she was afraid speaking its name would summon it.

"It's called… the Reaper. And believe me, that name has been earned many times over. If we're on a floor and hear chains, we need to leave, immediately." she whispered.

"Got it. Is there anything else?" Yu asked.

"No. Let's get going, but try not to linger on one floor too long."

And with that, the four of them went down the non-moving escalators. The subway had far more sinister and malicious feel as they entered. For starters, there was blood red light everywhere, there were black cracks on all the surfaces, and they were twisted and crooked, like they were gnarled roots. The team made their way to the subway itself, and saw several people waiting for trains. When one pulled up, they shuffled on board, emotionless grunts the only thing that indicated that they were even alive to begin with. Once the train was full, it would speed off to parts unknown, leaving only whispers of pained groans in its wake.

"This place is really creepy." Shiho pointed out.

"Alright, so do we just keep walking until we reach the target?" Akechi asked.

"What?! Hell no. In fact, the whole reason why I constructed the Mona-mobile in the first place was so that we could traverse Mementos efficiently." Morgana answered, pulling out her whistle and blowing hard. The Mona-mobile roared as it emerged, fully repaired, from a cloud of smoke and dust. As they climbed in, Shiho took a moment to admire the bus.

"Wow, this is really nice Morgana! How'd you repair this?"

"Actually, I made multiple Mona-mobiles, and this is a completely separate bus. Master Igor provided me with the materials to make anything I wanted, from a tank to a mobile weapons platform the size of a city. In the end, I decided to make a bus, and make it the best bus possible, and named it the Mona-mobile! But keeping it intact was the hard part, since Elizabeth loved to take it for a spin without any consideration for the love and care that went into making it. Eventually, it got so bad that I had to build spares just for whenever that madwoman wrecked it." Morgana grumbled as she started up the engine.

"Elizabeth? Who's that?" Yu asked.

"One of master Igor's assistants. Like Caroline and Justine!"

"I see. Well, let's get to finding this 'Mika' shall we?" Yu suggested.

"Yes, let's. Morgana, if you would." Akechi replied.

"And away we gooooooo!" Morgana cheered as they began their descent into Tokyo's Palace.


	29. Practice Match

"So, Carmen." Yu started.

"Yea Seeker?"

"If I were to talk to Ushimaru about you getting enrolled, which class would you like to be in?"

"Definitely with Ace. The two of us live together, after all. It makes sense that we share a class too."

"Can we focus on the task at hand please? This place seems to be far more dangerous than Shujin Nation." Akechi pointed out.

And he was right. Mementos only got more disturbing the further they descended. Once they went past the subway part, the Palace turned from a subway to a giant catacomb system. The walls went from concrete to chiseled blue rock, the black and red cracks featuring more prominently now, almost to the point that they looked less like roots and more like veins. The railroad tracks could still be seen, but the wood was red, as if it was forged by blood. There were Shadows here, like Morgana said, but instead of taking the form of any security guards, they took the shape of a shapeless mass of black ink, and they were much bigger than the Mona-mobile. Thankfully, when they were hit, they would also dissolve into other Shadows just the same. After a good few battles, and descending a few levels, the group came across a stone wall with red markings decorating it.

"What is this?" Yu asked.

"That is a wall." Akechi pointed out.

"Yea, thanks captain obvious, but I meant if there is some kind of significance to it."

"Master Igor didn't tell me anything about it. Why don't we see if there's something we can do?" Morgana suggested.

With no other course of action available, Yu walked up and pressed his palm against the obstacle, feeling for anything like a button or a switch. But the moment the hand came in contact with the wall, it rumbled, and shortly after, parts of it slid off, clearing the way to a pair of escalators that would allow them to descend further. It didn't take them long to arrive at the new block of Mementos, and when they did, Morgana summoned the trusty Mona-mobile. As everyone piled in, the guide let out a gasp.

"What is it Morgana?"

"I can sense our target! She's on this level!"

"Perfect. Get ready everyone." Yu ordered.

It wasn't long before they arrived at their destination; a swirling vortex right in front of them, the colors black and crimson clashing against each other in a destructive dance. The railway tracks were ripped off and entered the vortex, violently twisted in a way similar to the vortex. The Mona-mobile sped through, and they found themselves at a dead end. On their left and right were cells with red tendrils escaping between the bars and heading down into a bottomless pit. But standing in front of them was a lone girl, dressed in a teal blue business skirt and a sleeveless turtleneck of the same color. But when she turned around, her eyes were a sickly yellow, making it unmistakable that this was a Shadow. The Team got out of the vehicle.

"Are you Miki, the part-time model?" Yu asked, approaching her.

"Yea. What do you want?"

"We've heard that you've been misusing your company resources to destroy your rivals and give yourself a leg up in the business."

"Yea, what of it? I'm not allowed to succeed?" She asked venomously.

"We never said that. But your success can't come at the expense of others."

"Oh yea? Says who?"

"There are people out there getting in trouble because of you! Can't you see you're hurting them with your actions?" Shiho asked.

"So what? It's a dog eat dog world out there. I'm just doing what I have to in order to survive. In this world, you have to reach the top, no matter what it takes."

"Or you could get to the top based on talent and hard work." Akechi countered.

"Yea, I thought that too, until an airheaded bimbo named Ann Takamaki came along. She treats modeling like it's some kind of hobby. I work my ass off for what I do, and yet she shows up once, and you'd think she was the second coming of Christ by how everyone treats that slut like she's something special. I wouldn't be surprised if she was screwing the execs behind everyone's back."

"You take that back." Shiho growled through her teeth.

"Or what? Who the hell are you brats anyway?"

"We're the Phantom Team, and we've come to take your heart." Yu answered, drawing his katana, the others following suit.

"Oh yea, you little brats?! Come and try!" Mika screeched, her body morphing into a woman with violet skin, dressed with black fabric barely covering her figure and an oversized hat and cape. She crossed her legs and proceeded to float effortlessly above the ground, and snapped her fingers. Two geysers of black ink erupted next to her, reforming into a man dressed in an orange jumpsuit with metal claws and wings, and next to that, a star with a single eye on it.

"You brats have no idea how tough the real world is. Let me teach you a lesson you won't forget!" Mika roared in her new form, holding out her hand and unleashing several fiery explosions, forcing the Team to split up.

(Music: watch?v=AInvP6dn7qw)

"Alright, let's do this! Izanagi!" Yu called. The god came and brought down the fury of the heavens in the form of lightning, bringing the man with wings to Earth, and eliciting a cry of pain from the other two.

"Pariah! You're up!" Yu yelled as the eye-star prepared its spell.

"I won't let you down!" Shiho replied as Yu gave her a high-five, transferring his power to her. The star unleashed a sudden blast of atomic energy, injuring Yu and Morgana, but missing Shiho as she sprinted to close the distance between her and her target. The eye, upon seeing her get so close, tried to hit her with another nuclear blast, but she was too fast, and she used the momentum of her dodge to strike three times with her morning star before doing a backflip and unloading an entire clip into it, stunning it onto the floor.

"Well done! Allow me to follow through!" Akechi said.

"Do some damage!" Shiho ordered as she high-fived Akechi, transferring both her and Yu's power into Akechi. By now, Miki had powered up for another attack, unleashing it in the form of several pink orbs assaulting Akechi. The detective grunted, but stood strong, and summoned Robin Hood for a counter attack.

"My skills exceed yours!" Akechi cried out, the Persona letting loose an arrow that tore through and destroyed the man with metal wings.

"Damn you! Can't let get any good help these days." Miki cursed as she assaulted Akechi with powerful curse magic. Akechi saw the attack coming, and passed the power to Morgana before being launched into the wall.

"Alright! My time to shine! Lady Trieu, show them what you got!" Morgana called, the kimono wearing woman materializing shortly after. The Persona raised her blade, and green vortexes assaulted both Miki and her lacky, tearing the star to shreds and leaving Miki on the floor.

"She's wide open! Seeker, the killing blow is all yours!" Morgana proclaimed, passing the whole Team's power into their leader.

"Izanagi! Let's end this!" Yu ordered.

The god of Japan revealed himself, and moved one hand to his blade, electricity cackling across his fingertips. He moved them back and forth a few times, like he was holding an imaginary cloth, and soon, held his weapon like a javelin, the electricity from his hand now transferred over to the sharp metal. With a mighty toss, the naginata pierced Miki, and a tormented cry echoed all across Mementos. Izanagi vanished, and the blade vanished with him, as Miki returned to her original form, lying on the ground in defeat. The Team approached her, and she began to sob.

"Leave me alone. Let me do what I have to do to succeed." She pleaded.

"No. You want success? You'll have to get it fair and square." Shiho informed, putting a hand on her hip.

"What about you? You use this power, a power that no one else has, to your own ends. You're no different than me!"

"We're plenty different. We don't abuse what we have, and we don't use it to hurt others for ourselves." Akechi retorted.

"We also risk our lives by doing this, and we do it with other people in mind." Yu added.

"What… what should I do?" Miki asked.

"Repent, and work to atone." Shiho answered. Miki looked at them and smiled, before vanishing into thin air, leaving only a blue-white orb in her place. Yu looked at it.

"Is this a Treasure?" He asked.

"It's the beginnings of one. Since it's not a Treasure proper, we're able to take it without sending her a calling card. Let's grab it and get out." Morgana answered. Yu took the orb, and it quickly transformed into a business card for a model company. With their work complete, the group turned and left Mementos.

* * *

Yusuke sat in his shack, thinking to himself. The news Hifumi told him in regards to her mother were… disturbing. He had never suffered abuse at the hands of Madarame, and he certainly didn't suffer from a lack of freedom. He sighed as he leaned back. On one hand, he wanted to help Hifumi break her mother's grip, but at the same time, what could he do? Beg that she let her daughter do as she pleased? Have her arrested for being a mother? No. If Yusuke wanted to help his friend, he would have to get some kind of dirt on Hifumi's mom. Something to at least make her think twice about deciding how Hifumi lives her life. He got up and decided that, starting tomorrow, he would start looking for a way to help Hifumi.

* * *

The Team had re-emerged into the real world, making sure to do so in a place that wouldn't be too crowded. Once they regrouped, they noticed how much time had passed.

"We should get going. Assuming what we did worked, we might get another target that's big enough to warrant our full attention." Akechi suggested.

"Yea, but I like the idea behind the Phansite. Makes us care about the little guy, as well as the big picture." Shiho said.

"It's getting rather late. I need to be back with the Niijimas soon, but good work all around. If there's another target, then we'll hit it tomorrow, yea?"

"Agreed. Oh, and don't forget, you have to work for Sae-san on Sunday." Akechi reminded

"Oh… Right." Yu grumbled as he and the others started to head home, ominous thunder bellowing in the distance.

* * *

Yu woke up the sound of banging on his door. Outside, the storm had not let up at all. In fact, it had gotten even worse. Cracks of thunder, flashes of lightning, and rain pouring so hard Yu was amazed he slept at all. He was about to go back to sleep, assuming that it was just a particularly loud thunder clap that woke him, until there was another assault on the door.

"Y-Yu-kun? Are you awake?" Makoto asked, fear in her voice.

"Makoto? What is it?" Yu asked groggily.

"May I come in? Please?" Makoto begged with a little of a whimper.

"Uh, sure, what's wrong?"

Makoto burst through the door, and seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"Makoto? What's wrong?" Yu asked, now fully awake.

Another crack of thunder, and Makoto borderline screamed at it. She then turned to Yu, and he could see a cold sweat on her face.

"I-I tried to go to sleep before the storm got too loud, but I couldn't fall asleep, and now-"

Another crack, and this time, Makoto did scream, and tears started to well up in her eyes.

"C-can I stay with you? Please?" She pleaded.

"Awwww. Is the sister of the big, bad prosecutor scwared of a wittle thunder?" Yu teased, a small smile on his face.

"This isn't funny!" Makoto half-yelled, half-whimpered.

Another boom of thunder, and now Makoto grabbed her head and began to full on cry. Yu's face contorted from glee into one of nervousness.

"M-Makoto?"

Makoto started to heave, and clutched her chest, and Yu saw beads of sweat starting to roll down her face as she grabbed the nearby dresser for support. Yu then realized exactly what was happening; Makoto was having a panic attack.

"Makoto! Makoto, can you hear me?!" Yu cried out. In response, Makoto grabbed onto him and pulled him close to her, her grip like iron. Yu didn't struggle, though her extremely tight hold made breathing a labor. He could feel her heart pounding against his chest and her eyes were bulging open, her irises and pupils had shrunk down to the bare minimum. She took in deep gulps of air, like she had just gone diving for too long and just come up to the surface, and she did this for what felt like hours, until finally, she calmed down enough to loosen her grip, but not enough to let go.

"Makoto? Are you alright?"

"I… I am now. Sorry about that. I-I tend to have panic attacks during thunderstorms."

"Really? That's awful."

"Yes. Normally, I just have to grab Buchi-kun and hold him tight, if I'm not already asleep. But it always works better whenever Sis, or someone else I know is around. I'm sorry I didn't tell you beforehand." Makoto said, still not letting go.

Another flash of lightning, followed by a clap of thunder, and Makoto once again gripped Yu tight, a small whimper escaping her mouth. Yu gave her a reassuring pat on the back. That's when he saw his phone light up, accompanied by his jazz ringtone. Maneuvering the best he could with Makoto clinging to him like a koala, he picked it up, and was stunned to see Sae's number on it, before vanishing, signaling he missed the call. Almost immediately, the phone rung again, and he picked up.

"Sae-san?"

"Thank God you picked up this time. Listen, I'm sorry for calling this late, but I need you to check up on Makoto, right now." Sae ordered, and Yu detected something in her voice.

Fear.

"I'm here Sis. Don't worry, I'm alright." Mokoto told the phone. Yu heard a sigh of relief from the other end.

"Thank God. Are you alright?"

"I am. Yu-kun helped me calm down."

"Alright. I'm on my way back now. Stay together until then." Sae ordered.

Yu hung up, and turned to Makoto, who had finally calmed down enough to let go of him, and put a few feet between the two. Yu turned on the light and looked at her with an eyebrow raised, silently asking for an explanation. Her eyes were red and swollen from the recent fountain of tears, and her knees were shaking a little, but other than that, she was alright.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"I am now. Thanks again. That must have seemed very… bizzare for me to barge into your room and start squeezing the life out of you."

"Hey, I didn't mind how close we were." Yu replied coyly.

"W-Well… um, you see… that's… r-really?" Makoto fumbled, her face starting to flush.

"Absolutely. In fact, I think I'll hope for more storms like this in the future, just so we have an excuse."

"An excuse? An excuse to wha-NARUKAMI!" Makoto yelled as she pieced the puzzle together, her face became the color of a ripe tomato, the blush engulfing her entire face. Yu laughed at the sight.

"That's not funny!" She yelled, only prompting Yu to laugh harder, even more so when she stomped her foot and crossed her arms in a huff. Just then, they heard the door fling open and Sae rush in.

"Makoto?! MAKOTO?!" She screamed, terror prevalent in her words.

"I'm here Sis. I'm alright."

Sae ran up to the younger Niijima and embraced her.

"Thank God. When Narukami didn't pick up the phone at first, I was so worried." Sae whispered, stroking Makoto's hair gently. Her ruby eyes met Yu's grey and she smiled sweetly.

"It appears the worst of the storm has past. Why don't you try getting some sleep alright? And if it picks up again, I'll be here, ok?" Sae whispered gently and lovingly to her sister. Makoto simply nodded and returned to her room. Sae turned to Yu and gave a warm smile.

"Thank you Narukami."

"You're welcome. How serious are her panic attacks?"

"Very. First few times, she had to be rushed to the emergency room and kept on life support." Sae answered grimly.

"Oh shit."

"Language Narukami."

"Shi-um… shoot."

"Better."

"Is she going to be ok now?"

"She should be, assuming there's no further thunder, but if there is, I'll handle it. I'm sorry I didn't warn you beforehand."

"Does she always get like this during a thunderstorm?"

Sae simply nodded.

"Why? Was she always so scared of storms?"

"No. Our father's death occurred on a stormy night, just as bad as this. I didn't see any of the fighting, only the aftermath. Makoto, however, at the ripe age of 12, witnessed not just dad getting murdered, but Dojima killing the Yakuza hitmen, and Dojima himself falling to the floor in a pool of blood. That memory always comes back on a night like this. I'm just grateful it's only at night, or she might've had problems with storms at school."

"So we don't have to worry about panic attacks during the day?"

"Correct."

"I'm glad to hear that." Yu said, letting out a yawn.

"You should go back to sleep. I'll stay with Makoto until she does as well. Goodnight Narukami. And thanks again."

"Anytime Sae-san. Anytime." Yu replied lazily as he took Sae's advice and went back to sleep.


	30. Coffee Dad

Yu was once again in his homeroom, Kawakami reminding them about their trip to a place called Togo News Station. By now, Shiho had returned to Shujin, and all kind of people were offering their condolences and teachers saying how if she needed someone to talk to, they were always available. Somehow, Yu thought that only Kawakami and Ushimaru meant any of it. The silver-haired teen was busy thinking about his Team's battle with Mika when his phone went off. Again. Yu took it out and saw the familiar sign of Alibaba.

Alibaba: I'm glad you're already making good use of my gift.

Yu: Why are you doing this?

Yu closed his eyes and sent out Izanagi, looking for a certain red-haired girl. And once he found her, he smiled. She was on her phone, typing away, showing him all he needed to see. She sent send, and Yu felt his phone buzz.

Alibaba: Because the world needs people like the Phantom Team.

Yu: Do you really expect me to believe you have no ulterior motive?

The lunch bell rang, and Yu borderline raced down to Futaba's class, hoping to find the orange-haired gremlin before she could leave. As luck would have it, she was currently walking with her back to the silver-haired teen, allowing him to get behind her and pluck her phone right out of her hands.

"HEY! Give that…back…" Futaba began, only to have all the color drained from her face when she saw who it was that grabbed her device. She immediately turned to run, but Yu put his hand on her shoulder before she could begin.

"Nuh-uh. You don't get off the hook that easily. Follow me." He whispered in her ear, in a tone that made her blood run cold. The two made their way to the student council room, where Yu pushed her inside. She let out a small _eep! _as Yu closed the door and locked it. Slamming her phone on the table, he turned to his classmate with a malicious look in his silver eyes, one that made Futaba ready to faint.

"You have five minutes to explain yourself."

"U-um…. Ok, s-so, I found out you guys were the you-know-what because Kobayakawa o-ordered me to watch you guys. So when you started talking about this 'M-Metaverse' and Palaces, I thought you guys had l-lost your minds. But when you guys said that you'd make a calling card, and that K-Kobayakawa would confess what he did, and then it actually _happened _, I thought that… well… there might be other people who could use your help."

"Then why didn't you talk to us directly?"

"Well… I thought you would still be mad about me… you know… leaking your record. And the others might've been mad about me helping Kobayakawa."

"So you decided to hack my phone and give the impression that you were some unknown factor that could turn on me or use me for their own ends?"

"W-well… that wasn't the intention. I wanted to help, honest!"

Yu crossed his arms and gave a long, hard stare and sighed. Akechi said that Futaba was just as much a victim of Kobayakawa as the rest of them, and the nerdy-looking young woman seemed honest enough. That's when an idea popped into his head. If he and the others were going to keep stealing hearts, then they would need more money.

"If you really want to help, then I need you to do something for me."

"Wait really? You're letting me off the hook that quickly?" She asked, surprised.

"Do you want me to grill you further?"

"N-no! Whaddya need?"

"A job."

"Seriously? A job? I thought you would need me to do something more… extreme. But if it's a job you need, it's a job you'll get! Just leave it to me!" She stated, her fear turning into excitement instantly. The bell sounded, signaling the end of lunch.

"Alright. Send me a way for me to contact me, and let me know when you find a place. The sooner the better." Yu ordered, opening the door.

"You got it chief! I won't let you down, promise!" Futaba promised, leaving the room.

* * *

After school was let out, most people made their way to either clubs, arcades, or straight home. Yu, however, went straight to the principal's office. After a gentle knock, Ushimaru ushered for the student to come in and take a seat.

"Narukami. What brings you here?" The stocky man asked.

"That favor you promised me."

"Cashing in already? I would have thought you would've asked to be exempt from midterms or finals. Maybe even get an automatic 'A' on a project."

"All of those things I can earn on my own merit. No, what I want you to enroll someone."

"Judging by how you're cashing in the favor for this person, I can assume that their circumstances are… extraordinary."

"She's not a criminal, if that's what you're wondering. It's just that… most of her paperwork has been lost, and it'll be a huge hassle to get it all back."

"So you want me to enroll her, no questions asked, right?"

"That's correct."

Ushimaru let out a deep sigh, before pulling out a pen and paper.

"Alright, fine. Name?"

"Morgana Velvet."

"Age?"

"17"

"What class?"

"The same as Akechi's."

"How can I contact her?"

"This number can put you in contact with her." Yu informed, writing a series of numbers on a post-it note before giving it to Ushimaru.

"Alright Narukami. You sure this is what you want to spend your favor on?"

"I am."

"Alright then. I'll get in contact with her. You can head out now."

Yu got out and shot a text to Morgana, who expressed total joy at the news, even more when Yu told her that she was going to be in the same class as Akechi. He was waiting at the subway, awaiting the train that would take him home when he got a text from Futaba.

Futaba: So, I got good news and bad news.

Yu: What's the bad news?

Futaba: Almost no one in a 100 mile radius is going to hire a person with a criminal record. I can try to expunge and erase it, but it'll take months to do it without anyone noticing.

Yu: And the good news?

Futaba: I said 'almost no one'. There's one person who might hire you.

Yu: Who is it?

Futaba: It's my dad. Sojiro Sakura.

Yu internally winced at the name. That man was supposed to be his original guardian, and Yu could only imagine at his reaction would be once he found out who Yu was.

Yu: I don't think he'll hire me.

Futaba: He will if I'm there to persuade him. Besides, he's been trying to get some help for years, but no one's been up to snuff so far. It could very well be only job in Tokyo that you could get.

Yu: Fine. Where should I go to?

Futaba: It's called Cafe Leblanc.

Yu: I've been there. Damn good coffee.

Futaba: Dad'll would be happy to hear that. Here, since you know where it is, I'll wait for you outside the cafe. Trust me, the interview will go a lot smoother if I'm there.

Yu: I'll see you there.

* * *

Once he was off the train, Yu found himself wandering the streets of Yong Yen, scanning the cramped streets for a bob of orange hair. He found her, crouched down, as if observing a bug. Once he approached her, she stood up and beamed at him.

"Alright. Just let me do the talking. With any luck, mom will still be there. Then he'll definitely hire you!"

"I'm still not sure about this." Yu said, tugging on his collar.

"Oh it'll be fine. Allons y!" Futaba said cheerfully, entering the cafe, with Yu following close behind. Unlike last time Yu came here, the place was almost completely cleared out, minus a woman in a wheelchair on a computer sitting in one of the back booths.

"Ah welcome back Futaba. You're home later than usual. Who's that with you?" the woman asked with a smile.

"Mom, this is Yu Narukami. He heard about dad's job offering. And wants in."

"Really? It's about time. Poor Soji was going to work himself to death at this rate."

"If death comes for me, he'd better come while I'm asleep, because there's no way he'll take me while a customer needs to be served." A man said, stepping out of the kitchen. It took a moment, but Yu recognized him as the man who served him coffee after Shoichi's 'test run'. He turned to Yu and nodded at him.

"Oh I remember you. Why are you so interested in taking this job? It's the coffee, right? You wanna know how to make it." Sojiro guessed with a smirk.

"Actually, it's because no one else will hire me. They always say that I 'need work experience', then won't give me any work to get experience from."

"I know the struggle. What's your name again? Didn't quite hear it from back there."

"I-It's… Yu Narukami, sir."

Immediately, the friendly look and tone just melted from Sojiro, replaced by a scowl and low growl.

"Oh, now I know the real reason all those employers said no. And mine is just the same. Get out of my store! I don't want to see you here again!" He growled.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on dad! He's the only person that's shown _any _interest in working here!" Futaba argued.

"I don't care Futaba! I'm not letting a criminal work so close to our home!"

By this point, the woman in the wheelchair closed her laptop and gave a heavy sigh before turning to Yu.

"Narukami, was it? Is it true you're a criminal?"

"No. The crime I've been accused of is false."

"Yea, sure it was." Sojiro spat sarcastically.

"You seem honest enough. And you're a kid of Dojima's. Don't you owe him for helping us out during that nasty insurance fraud business?"

"W-Well, yes, but-"

"And where are you living Narukami?"

"In an apartment complex. With Sae Niijima."

"_ The _Sae Niijima? Well, it would appear to me that you have a rather tight leash around your neck. One that Soji could loosen by giving you this job."

"Wakaba, he-"

"Can help. I'm not going to let your stubbornness get rid of perhaps the only help we could get in this back-end of Tokyo."

"Plus, I promised him that he'd get hired. Please?" Futaba begged, giving Sojiro puppy eyes.

"What if you're wrong Soji?" The woman, Wakaba asked. Sojiro was silent.

"Exactly. What if this kid is telling the truth about being set up? At least give him a chance, then decide if he's worth keeping around. Ok?"

"Fine." Sojiro relented. He then turned to his newly hired help.

"Alright kid, I'll pay you 1,200 Yen an hour. When can you start working?"

"Whenever you need me. Except sundays."

"Alright. You'll be here every day after school-" Sojiro started

"Every Friday and Saturday." Wakaba interrupted.

"From after school to nine on Fridays and Saturdays. That sound good?" Sojiro finished.

"It does sir, I'll start this Friday. Thank you." Yu thanked with a small bow.

"Don't thank me just yet. The second something goes missing, I'm reporting you to the police." The coffee house owner warned.

Despite the obvious animosity, Yu left with a smile on his face. Once he was out, Futaba skipped to his side and tugged on his arm.

"Sorry about Sojiro. But he isn't as bad he might seem back there. Just give him a chance, and I'm sure he'll warm up to you." the girl explained.

"I'm just glad he actually hired me. Thanks for that."

"No problem. And my support won't stop there. I'll keep monitoring the Phansite for anything, and let you know if there's anything that you should take care of."

"You don't have to, your debt has been cleared."

"Yea, but I want to. If feels good to know that you're making a difference. Like with that Mika lady. Lovers 06 reported that she came clean, and now the other models have a chance to make it big because of it. I want to be a part of that."

"Alright. You can act as our 'guy in the chair', you know, the-"

"Tech support, master hacker and info gatherer. Heck yea!" She cheered.

_I am thou. Thou art I. _

_Thou hast acquired a new vow. _

_It shall become the wings of rebellion that will lead thee to the truth. _

_With the birth of the _**_Moon_**_Arcana _

_Thou hast obtained the blessing that will grant thee new power. _

"Alright, if there's nothing else, I need to start heading out. See you tomorrow Futaba." Yu said, leaving the small cafe.

* * *

It was all quiet at the Togo residence, which Hifumi took as a blessing. Right now, she was in her parent's bedroom, by the side of the man she called father. For the past few years, her dad had been gravely ill. Once, he was the light and love of the Togo household, but the gloom of death hung ever since he got sick. Once, he was the one of the greatest, if not the greatest, shogi player in all of Japan, and now he was reduced to a coughing shell. Hifumi used to wage war against him countless times on the playing board, but even that was a luxury on certain days. Thankfully, today was one of those days, and she was being thoroughly destroyed by his master tactics. Her father was feeling better today, and the doctors predicted a full recovery in a few months. Maybe then, he might be able to talk to his wife about how she was treating their daughter. But Hifumi didn't hold out much hope, she knew that by that point the damage would be done. With another _clack _, Hifumi saw that she had been defeated by her father and teacher yet again.

"Check. You're improving." The man rasped.

"Good match." Hifumi declared, albeit with little to no emotion.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing. Just a little tired."

"Hifumi…" He strained.

Hifumi bit her lip. She couldn't give her father any news that might deteriorate his health, especially if that news involved his wife. He was on the road to recovery, and she refused to jeopardize it for her own selfish desires.

"I said I'm just a little tired. And worried about you dad. The doctors have said you were getting better before, but then some bad news hit, and you'd go right back to the way you were before."

"And you're afraid that if you tell me the truth, it'll set back my recovery." He guessed.

"As observant as always."

"Hifumi, you're the light of my life, I always worry about you, and your mother. And if you don't tell me what's wrong, then it will only cause me to get even more worried, and then we're back to square one. Now, tell me what's bothering you so."

Hifumi bit her lip and looked away. Perhaps spending time with her father wasn't such a good idea after all. She wanted to get up and leave, but she knew what would happen if she tried.

"There's… a boy I'm interested in." She lied.

"Oh?"

"Yes, but… I'm not sure if he's interested in me."

"What's he like?"

"Well… he's honest, doesn't let what others think about him decide what he does. And he's a stupid romantic, the kind that will read poems they made to confess their love. He also has similar tendencies that I have when I'm playing Shogi."

"Really?"

In truth, all Hifumi did was describe her ideal boyfriend, but her father seemed to buy it, so it was good enough. She simply nodded her answer, and her father smiled.

"Well, if he ever does notice you, I would like to meet him."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. I'm going to go study before heading off to bed. Goodnight dad."

"Good night Hifumi. I enjoyed playing with you."

With their farewells said, Hifumi started up her computer so that she could do some research, and found that her social media site had blown up in popularity. Though if the comments were anything to go by, it was for the wrong reasons.

'Where are the pics? Isn't this supposed to be Hifumi's account?'

'I came here for Hifumi's sexy ass, but all there is is stupid shogi.'

'Who the fuck cares about this game? I thought Hifumi was supposed to be a model.'

There were several other comments similar to those, and Hifumi let out a groan and exited out. It was going to get worse from here on out, and she knew it.


	31. Following up on a Lead

It was a regular Wednesday for Yu, or as regular as it could get with fighting Mankind's demons within the hearts and minds of despicable human beings as a pastime. There weren't any good requests on the Phansite, and Akechi hadn't had any luck finding another potential target. Yu decided to head to the library to try and study, but the rather loud whispers made it clear he wasn't wanted, so he made his way to the subway to head home, but was cut off by someone at the school gate.

"Yo dude, I got a favor to ask." A familiar voice asked, running up behind Yu.

"Ryuji? Um, sure, what is it?"

"Yea, so um… sorry to spring this on ya all of a sudden, but, do ya think you could go on a run with me?"

"That… _is _very sudden. What brought this on?"

"Well, with that asshole gone, I figured I'd try to get back into the track team. And that means I gotta get back in shape. Figured I would get a non-runner to see how bad I've gotten."

"Why didn't you go to Akechi, or Ann for this?"

"Ann won't be able to jog three feet, let alone three miles, and Akechi… nah, I don't think he could make it either. Besides, there's something about you man. Something about you just seems, like… I dunno man, like I can trust you with anything, and you won't let me down."

"I've been told I have one of those faces."

"Soooooooo… you in?"

"You know what? Let me get changed into something, and I'll meet you back here."

"All right!"

* * *

With her rising fame, Hifumi found that she couldn't practice at school in peace anymore, so she had to seek… alternatives. Which was why she now found herself in the middle of a quiet little church in the middle of Kanda. There was no one here, which made practice a little difficult, but the Togo Queen was nothing if not resourceful. Right now, the shogi board had already been set and played on, and right now, it was time for the game to end.

"And now, you will witness the futility of your-"

"Excuse me miss, what are you doing?"

"GAAAAH!"

Hifumi screamed from the sudden voice so loudly, anyone right next to her would probably have their ears bleed. She also jostled out of the pew she sat in, completely tossing the board over and scattering pieces everywhere. The voice belonged to none other than the priest, who had his hands up in defense.

"H-h-hi…" Hifumi greeted, a blush starting to form because of what she did.

"Hello there." He said calmly after Hifumi had calmed down.

"Sorry for intruding, Father. I just needed… um…"

"A place of peace to gather your thoughts?"

"Something like that. I'm sorry, it's just that-"

"There's no need to apologize young lady. The house of God welcomes all. Stay here as long as you wish. All I ask is that you remain quiet for the sermon."

"Oh. I will, Father…" She trailed off.

"Simon. My name is Simon Solace."

"Thank you again Father Simon." Hifumi thanked, before beginning to pick up the scattered shogi pieces.

* * *

Yu was quite proud of himself for making it this far. Considering that Ryuji was a track member, Yu expected him to leave the Wild Card in the dust, but much to both their surprise, they were evenly matched. By now, the jog had taken them well outside of Shujin's area, and by now they found themselves in a more natural part of the city. The last sign they saw told them that they had entered the Kanda district, and now they were both just jogging blind. Finally, Ryuji stopped, and Yu stopped next to him, and both boys coughed and hacked their lungs out.

"Holy shit. I'm not in as bad shape as I thought. And you were way better than I thought you'd be. You sure you didn't do track back where you were from?" Ryuji asked between coughs.

"I did kendo. Lots of stamina training." Yu wheezed in response.

"Here. Let's go inside the church and rest a bit. Then we can walk back." Ryuji suggested.

"Excellent idea."

The two went to the building, passing a priest and an elderly couple on the way in, and were greeted by a refreshing cool breeze. And some obnoxious voices. Up in the front, a girl was sitting alone, and surrounded by a few jocks, and judging by the tone of their voices, trouble was brewing.

"Oh come on, you look just like her." One of them, wearing a backward baseball cap pointed out.

"Look, I already told you, you got me confused for someone else."

"You got the braid, the looks, and a shogi board. You're definitely her." Another guy, one wearing a chain around his neck leered.

"Look, we're your fans, and we just wanna show you a good time. It's gotta be better than being cooped up in this rickety shack." The final one, wearing a neon tank top offered.

"No thank you." Yu could tell that she was straining to be polite.

"Come on, don't knock it till you've tried it." the baseball guy replied, moving to grab the girl's arm, causing her to jerk back in response.

"Hey, the lady said no." Ryuji said, finally stepping in, with a tone of seriousness Yu hadn't heard from him before.

"Oh? And who the hell are you?" Baseball asked.

"Yea, we were here first, fuckface." Chain neck suggested.

"Heh. Probably thinks that he'll get laid if he gets us to back off."

The three laughed amongst themselves, while Ryuji simply smirked and walked towards the trio.

"Oh, you guys think you're super funny. Well, I got a joke for ya. What's man's worst enemy?"

Baseball cap took a step closer and asked.

"What?"

"The nutcracker." Was Ryuji's answer as he delivered a swift kick to the testicles.

The ring leader clutched his groin and fell backwards, his two buddies failing to catch him in time. The one with the neck chains stepped forward and clenched his fists, and Ryuji put up his guard in kind, with Yu standing by his side, ready to brawl. Before any fists could fly, a voice stepped in.

"Enough! This is a holy site, and any who disturb it will answer to the police." The priest threatened, holding up a phone. The thugs looked amongst each other, and with a grunt, each left one by one, making sure to glare daggers at Ryuji, who simply shrugged at the hostile stares. Once they were gone, Ryuji turned to the girl, who had finished packing up her Shogi board.

"Yo. You alright?"

"I am, thank you."

"Those assholes come by often?"

"No. And sadly, those were one of the more… polite groups."

"That bad?" Yu asked.

"I had to come to this church because I thought it was the only place that I could practice in peace. But, I thought wrong, as you clearly saw."

"Why were they after you?"

"I'm rather popular at my school. They were just admirers." It wasn't technically a lie.

"Oh, that… makes sense. Do you think that those guys will come back again?"

"Most likely. And others worse than them."

"Oh. Well, in that case… um… this church, it's on my usual run routine. You don't mind if I come by every now and then to make sure that you're doing ok?"

"Why? I don't even know who you are" The girl asked, suspicion dripping from her voice.

"Well… if I'm gonna stop by figured I might as well check up on ya."

"Oh really? And you're doing this all out of the goodness of your heart?"

"Well yea."

Hifumi narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Yu decided to intervene.

"If you're worried about him trying something like those guys, you always have the priest guy."

"Well… it's not like I can't stop you from coming in and talking to me. Fine."

"Cool. Oh, I'm Ryuji Sakamoto by the way."

"Hifumi Togo. I'll see you around." She stated, picking up her bag and heading out of the church. Once the two were alone, Yu turned to Ryuji.

"Hey, just so you know, I won't be able to come and jog with you every time, so if you run into those guys, you might have to deal with it alone."

"Ah, it's no biggie. Dad told me I have a killer right hook. But man, Hifumi… she was pretty cute, right?" Ryuji asked with a toothy grin.

"That's exactly why she was super cautious about your offer Ryuji."

"Oh come on man!"

"But yea, she was pretty cute. Just some advice; when you first start out, just keep your distance. You two are complete strangers, so make sure she knows you're there, then get back to your jog."

"Relax man, I'm pretty sure she's a total nerd. Not my cup of pee."

"Tea. It's my cup of tea."

"Wait really? Huh. That makes way more sense than 'pee'."

"How long did you think that was how the saying went?"

"Um… let's head back yea? Who knows how long we've been gone."

"Race you there?"

"Loser has to buy ramen!" Ryuji dared.

"You're on!" Yu accepted, and the two boys sprinted for about two seconds before their muscles started to cramp.

"How about… we walk, and split the bill?" Yu suggested.

"Yea. Yea, that sounds good." Ryuji agreed, wincing from the pain.

* * *

After they had gotten changed, the boys went to the ramen shop as before. Unfortunately, the line was much too long, so they instead headed to a beef bowl shop, and feasted there. After they had their fill, the two began to go their separate ways at the subway, but Ryuji tapped Yu on the shoulder.

"Hey dude…" Ryuji started.

"Yea?" Yu asked as the train pulled in.

"Thanks for coming. Shit's always more fun with a buddy."

"Anytime. And good luck with getting a date out of Hifumi." Yu teased.

"Thank- Hey! I ain't gonna-" Was all Ryuji could sputter before the train doors closed and Yu speed away with a smirk.

* * *

Yusuke was hiding in a bush.

Why is Yusuke hiding in a bush, you may ask? Well, originally, he came to learn the routine of Hifumi's mother, then confront her about what she had been doing to Hifumi and try to get her to stop. The problem was that she never came out of her house, forcing him to wait and wander the premises like a stalker.

Not the best plan, he would admit, but as he had been loitering for a good few hours outside the Togo residence, he had to hide to avoid the attention of anyone who might call the cops on him or tell him to go away. And so, he was hiding in a bush. For three hours. And his muscles were starting to cramp, on top of the fact that bugs were beginning to come out. He was about to get up from the bush to head back, but he then saw the door open and out stepped none other than Hifumi's mother: Mitsuyo Togo.

Ducking back into the bush to observe her, he then saw a car pull up in the driveway, and a man stepped out. He approached the house, and Mitsuyo's features contorted in frustration. Yusuke pulled out his phone and began to record.

"I thought I told you, if you need to meet, we have to do it at a private location."

"I'm sorry madame, but this is important. It appears Suki wants to back out."

"Oh really? Has she gone to the police yet?"

"Not yet. She wants to get her family out first."

"I see. Well, this needs correcting. Call up our special contact and give him instructions to her house. I'll handle the snitch."

The man bowed and pulled out his phone, walking to the car and driving off as he dialed a number. Mitsuyo pulled out her own phone, and a sinister sneer appeared on her face.

"Hello Suki. A little birdie told me that you've decided to… terminate your employment with us. Tell me, do you need a reminder of what happens to those who try to run?"

There was some noise from the phone, but Yusuke couldn't make out what they said.

"So what? You think because you did my dirty work for me you'd be exempt from what you dealt out?"

Yusuke's eyes widened. Whatever this woman was talking about with Mitsuyo was far more serious than forcing her daughter to be a model.

"And on top of that, you decided to try to run to the police. Such a shame. Your daughter had just moved out too."

Mitsuyo's smirk grew as the noise from the phone increased.

"There we go! I knew you'd see reason eventually! Now, I'll be in touch with you, but remember;"

Her grin suddenly faded, and her voice lowered to a growl.

"You signed a contract for me. You don't get to bail because you suddenly grow a conscience. Got it? Good."

And with that, the woman turned and went back into her house. Yusuke waited awhile before getting out of his bush and heading straight home in a mad panic. Once he was back in the safety of his shack, he pulled out his phone. It was still recording. Making sure to delete the part of him screaming like a madman, he then scrolled through his contact lists. This was much bigger than him and Hifumi. Once he found it, he dialed the number, hoping his friend wasn't already asleep. But they picked up the phone, Yusuke breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hello Akechi-san. I need your help."

* * *

It was Thursday, but after Yu arrived at Shujin, he found out that it wasn't going to be an ordinary Thursday, if the rumors were any indication.

"Did you hear we're getting a new transfer student?"

"Oh really? I hope he's not another criminal."

"Apparently, it's a _she _, and she's going to be in class 3-A."

"Wonder why the sudden transfer?"

"I heard she's a foreigner, so maybe that's why?"

"Hopefully she isn't a slut like Takamaki."

Yu knew full well who the new student was, though he was surprised that Ushimaru was able to get Morgana in so quickly. As he took his seat, he sent Izanagi to Akechi's class, just to see if Morgana's introduction to the school would be as bad as her introduction to sushi. The young woman in the Shujin school uniform stepped up in front of the class, the name 'Morgana Velvet' written on the chalkboard clearly for all to see.

"Everyone this is Morgana Velvet, our new transfer student. Now, in case you couldn't tell by the name, she isn't from around here, so please, be patient with her since she isn't used to our customs. Now, Morgana-san. Say something about yourself." The teacher instructed.

"Well… um… I really like sushi! And I'm a huge fan of the Phantom Team! I'm really looking forward to staying here!" She said with a smile that was a bit too wide to be genuine.

_ Akechi probably told her to say that so she wouldn't raise suspicions. _

"Thank you Morgana. You're seat will be… right over there!" The teacher said, pointing at a seat right behind Akechi. Morgana practically skipped to it and Yu had to pull Izanagi back as he felt his phone buzz.

Akechi: Everyone, I do believe I have found our next target.

Shiho: Awesome! Who is it?

Akechi: Her name is Mitsuyo Togo. I don't have anything concrete yet, but I got a tip about her threatening a co-worker with threats. My contact even showed me evidence.

Yu: We need more to go on Akechi. What exactly did this Mitsuyo do?

Akechi: According to the recording he took with his phone, she had a minion named 'Suki' whom Mitsuyo used to do her dirty work, which is most likely illegal, as the whole reason Mitsuyo called Suki in the first place was to warn her about the consequences of going to the police.

Morgana: I also made sure to put her name into the Nav last night. She has a Palace.

Yu: What else do we know about her?

Shiho: Togo… hey, aren't we going on a field trip tomorrow to Togo News Station?

Yu: Sounds like the perfect opportunity to go and find out more about how she thinks. Once we do discover her keywords, we should concentrate our efforts on Mondays-Thursdays.

Morgana: Why those specific days?

Yu: I just found a new job. One I have to work on Fridays and Saturdays.

Akechi: And on Sunday, you'll have to work with me and Sae-san.

Yu: I know. I'm sorry I can't dedicate myself completely to this.

Shiho: Maybe it's for the best. If we focus non-stop on our job as the Phantom Team, the rest of our lives; grades, family, and so on, will just fall apart.

Yu: Good point. I'll see you guys at the field trip.

Akechi: Morgana and I won't be able to accompany you two. It's only second years.

Yu: Really? So we'll have to be the ones who obtain any info on Mitsuyo.

Morgana: Are we sure about this? Yu is still on probation, and if he gets caught…

Shiho: I'll do it. What should I do?

Akechi: Well, I highly doubt Mitsuyo will carry her personal computer on her person. It'll most likely be in her office.

Shiho: And where will that be?

Akechi: I don't know. I'll have to pull up the files on the building. And then there's the matter of getting past her security on her computer…

Yu: Actually, I know someone who can help with that.


	32. Please Let This be a Normal Field Trip

It was Thursday, and Yu sat in a bus making its way to the TV station. Akechi made it clear that they were to do their best to find out any useful information about Mitsuyo Togo. A task the two were trying to focus on, but all around them were people talking about how sleepy they were. Yu himself was a bit lost in thought, his eyes slowly becoming heavier and heavier until Shiho tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey. Don't tell me you're falling asleep too?" She asked, stifling a yawn.

"I'm trying not to. But all of these yawns are getting to me."

"Well, if even you can't get through this, then it looks like our mission is over before it even began."

"We won't know until we try."

"Yea. You sure this will work?" Shiho whispered, pulling out a flash drive.

"It was designed by Futaba herself. According to her, it should be able to bypass any security and extract whatever data's on the computer."

"Alright, if you trust her…"

"We fight against mankind's demons and beat up a transformer. How scary can walking into an office be?"

"If we had our Personas, I wouldn't be nearly as scared. Besides-"

"What are you two whispering about?" A voice asked, making both Tricksters jump.

"Oh, Ann. We were… um…" Shiho tried to think of something, but her friend had caught her off guard.

"We were talking about where we would go after the trip was over, since we get to go straight home afterwards." Yu stepped in.

"Oh yea? And where were you planning on going?" Ann asked, a devious smile starting to form.

"Dome Town. That's close enough to walk to." Yu answered.

"If that's all you were talking about, then why were you whispering?"

"Well… we were hoping it would just be the two of us." Yu replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"YOU TWO ARE GOING ON A DATE?!" Ann yelled, the whole bus falling silent shortly after.

_ Goddamnit Ann. _

Both Yu and Shiho looked at the blonde with absolute horror as Ryuji slid over next to Ann.

"For real?! Since when did you two start dating? And dude, why didn't ya tell me?!"

Shiho blushed and turned to Yu, who also looked at her, and the two quickly looked away from each other, prompting a giggle from Ann.

"Shiho and Yu, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" She sang, with Yu too stunned from how spectacularly his plan had backfired.

"W-we aren't dating!" Yu finally got out, getting a blush on his cheeks as well.

"You two wanted to go to Dome Town alone, didn't ya?" Ryuji asked.

"W-well, yes, but-"

"Hey buddy, news flash; that's called a date."

"Look, all I did was ask her if she wanted to come with me to Dome Town. She was going to give her answer before we were so _rudely _interrupted."

"Sorry. So Shiho, what's your answer?"

"Well, I was going to say yes… if you and Ryuji tag along."

"Ooooooh, sorry dude. Looks like you're not getting action tonight." He said with a toothy grin and a wink, which earned a punch from Ann in response.

"We'd love to come along! Where would we hit first?" She asked.

"I don't know, we'll have to wait until the trip is over." Yu answered as the bus came to a stop. As he got up to leave, he could hear all the rumors going around thanks to Ann's outburst.

"Why is Shiho going out with that criminal?"

"She's probably only going on pity dates with him."

"Or he's manipulating her gratitude. Knew he didn't save her out of the kindness of his heart."

"He should just crawl up in a hole and die. At least then he won't stain Dojima's name."

The last part made Yu turn and glare daggers at the student responsible, causing his classmates to whisper a little quieter. By now, the bus had arrived, and the group was soon standing at the lobby of the studio, awaiting their guide. Once she arrived, she took the students up the stairs and to the main room, the place where all the recording and reporting was done. As the guide began her explanations, Shiho tapped him on the shoulder and began to whisper in his ear.

"Yu, do you have any idea as to where the office is?"

"Didn't Akech send you a map of the place?"

"He did, but… I couldn't make heads or tails of it."

"Then just send out your Persona."

"Send out? What do you mean?"

"If you call your Persona in the real world, it can act as an extension of your eyes and ears." Yu explained.

"How do you know?"

"Because I've done it before, dozens of times. Just mentally ask for your Persona, then use her to find the office."

"What are you two talking about over there?" Kawakami asked.

"Nothing!" Was Yu's hasty reply, earning a snicker from Ann, who no doubt had the wrong impression. As the guide continued, Yu could notice some of the students were fighting desperately to stay awake. Shiho tapped him on the shoulder again, and her face was wrought with worry.

"I can't do it Yu. No matter how hard I try, I can't summon her."

"Shit. Alright, give me the flash drive." Yu ordered.

"Please be careful." She said in a worried whisper.

"I'll be fine." He replied, leaving on the excuse of having to use the bathroom. Once he was in a stall, he sent out Izanagi.

** We must be cautious Narukami. I cannot affect the real world. Remember that.**

_ I know. I'll get creative. _

With that brief exchange over, Izanagi began his search, and it didn't take long for him to find what they were looking for. With the office located, Yu began to walk, making sure to have Izanagi scout the area in advance. At this point, he could say he got lost if he was caught, but once he got near the office, that excuse wouldn't work so well. He entered the stairwell and began to climb two staircases. But once he was almost outside the door, he sent Izanagi to see if anyone was behind it. The warning was almost instant.

** A guard approaches. Quick, hide.**

Yu grabbed onto the railing and flung himself over the edge, holding onto the railing so as to swing under the balcony. The momentum carried him to the underside of the balcony, and the teenager grabbed hold of anything he could. He heard the door open, and he began to secure himself. If someone looked up and saw him, he would've looked something like Spiderman holding onto a ceiling. Yu held on for dear life, worried of what might happen if the guard went down. Sending out Izanagi again, he breathed a sigh of relief when the security instead went up. After a few excruciating minutes of waiting for him to be completely gone, Yu let himself fall and land gracefully. Rushing back up, he found the office with the name 'Togo' on it. He pulled the knob, but it was locked.

_ Of course it is. Izanagi, keep an eye out. _

The god stood watch while Yu pulled out one of his makeshift lock picks and got to work.

_ Breaking and entering. Great, now I actually am a criminal. _

He silently thanked God for the chests in Mementos that kept him in practice, and soon, there was a satisfying _click _, and Yu smiled as he opened the door. Yu entered the room and didn't dare turn on the lights. Decorating the office were standard books, chairs, lamps. But he also couldn't help but notice the traditional samurai warrior armor stands and weapons proudly on display, along with traditional Japanese water paintings. There was even on Oni mask in a display case. Yu turned on the computer and plugged in the hard drive. While the progress bar began to fill up, Yu couldn't help but be intrigued by the Oni mask. It was a bright red with golden fangs, horns, and eyeballs. Like most Oni masks, there were two fangs porturding upwards, but there was something else that caught his curiosity in the mask, but he couldn't figure out what. He began to examine it closely, but suddenly, the computer beeped, and Yu unplugged the hard drive and exiting out of the now full progress bar.

** Narukami, someone's coming!**

Yu immediately looked for somewhere to hide, and saw a silhouette appear on the door. He ducked under the desk and turned off his phone in case someone tried to call or text him. The door opened and closed gently, but to Yu, it sounded as loud as an artillery shell going off. The person walked around the room, and took a seat at the desk.

_ Oh dear God, please don't be Togo. _

Yu looked through Izanagi and saw that it wasn't Togo, but the girl from the church, Hifumi. Except she was dressed rather formally, in a bright orange dress with red flowers dotting it, and her hair was tied up in a semi-bun, both of which looked a little too tight for her. She was humming a soft melody as she turned on the computer and accessed it easily. Yu made sure to stay away from her feet as she found what she was looking for. She pulled out her phone.

"Mother? Yes, I just checked it. Nothing's missing, and it shows no sign of being tampered with… No, not that I see… Alright."

Hifumi got up and walked out, and Yu let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. Once Izanagi confirmed that she was good and gone, Yu followed shortly, and was able to make it back to the group without incident. Kawakami noticed him and gave a small scowl.

"Narukami, you sure took your sweet time on the toilet."

"You can't rush art." Was his quick reply, earning some small laughs and an eye roll from his teacher. The class then turned their attention back to the guide.

"Did you get it?" Shiho whispered.

Yu simply nodded, and tapped his pocket to confirm that it was still there. Now all he had to do was get through the trip without getting caught.

* * *

Mitsuyo Togo was making way to her office. She got an alert on her phone that unauthorized access had been detected, and the timing couldn't have been worse. She was on the cusp of securing an exclusive interview with the legendary teen idol Risette, and she couldn't afford a scandal, a threat, or anything that could muck it up. As she was about to open the doors, she got a call.

"What?" She growled as she answered.

"It's the tour. They're just about done, and they need a speech from you."

"I'm sure they don't give two shits about me."

"Perhaps, but remember, you need good PR."

Mitsuyo grinded her teeth as she went down to the group. Waiting for her was Hifumi, all dressed up and ready to greet the audience. Mitsuyo inspected her daughter and gave her a nod of approval.

"You remember what to say, yes?"

"I do mother."

"Good, good. Now go." She ordered.

"Good evening." Hifumi greeted with a small bow. Once the class caught wind of her, there were several wolf whistles from the boys, but they were swiftly stopped by Kawakami's intense stare.

"We were very happy to have you here for your trip. We hope you enjoyed the tour. If you have any questions, please, feel free to ask."

"Are you single?!" One boy shouted, and Yu saw a twitch in her eye at the question.

"Any questions related to the tour." She rephrased, annoyance detectable in her voice.

"None? Very well, you are all free to leave. Again, we are glad that you could visit us, and we hope that you tune in to our channels." Hifumi replied, giving a hasty bow and turning to leave all too quickly before any of the boys could ask for her number next. Yu turned to Ryuji, who had a scowl on his face. A scowl that got even worse as the boys kept talking about how Hifumi looked, or rather, how tight her dress fit. Shiho grabbed Yu's arm and motioned for him to leave. The two made their way out of the TV studio, and Yu shot a text to his friends back at school.

Yu: I got the data.

Akechi: Excellent. We'll be able to look through it tonight.

Morgana: Hey, if we plan on giving her a change of heart, then why are we bothering to gather evidence on her evil deeds?

Akechi: We're not. We're going to be shifting through her emails, calls, and the like to get a better idea of her personality.

Morgana: But what if she has evidence of her evil deeds on there?

Akechi: One, no one writes down that they're going to commit a crime Morgana, they always say something like 'Do what you have to', or 'take care of him'. Two, if she did, then we'd have to find someone else to target. But we'll cross that bridge _if_ we reach it. Where are you two now?

Yu: On our way to Dome Town.

Akechi: Really? Perfect, we can get to work over a plate of delicious pancakes.

Shiho: School gets out that soon?

Akechi: It'll get out in a few hours. Plenty of time to kill at an amusement park, and you two deserve a reward for pulling this off.

Yu put his phone away and looked at Shiho.

"Well, looks like we'd better get going."

"Yea. You know the way?"

"Yea. Follow me."

Yu didn't know the way to Dome Town, but he'd be damned if he passed up a chance to impress her.

* * *

"Come on Yu, why won't you ask him?"

"Because I know where we're going!"

"No you don't!"

"Yes I do!"

"Then how come we aren't there despite walking around for a good hour?" Shiho asked, irritated.

"Because it's farther than I remember it'd be!"

"Then explain how we passed the same airsoft shop three times."

** You really should have thought this through before trying to impress her.**

_ Shut up Izanagi. _

"Fine. Let's ask him." Yu said, walking up to a police officer.

"Excuse me officer." He greeted

"Yea? Can I help you?"

"I was wondering where we had to go in order to get to Dome Town."

"Dome Town? Just take the train right there, and it's the first stop."

"Thank you officer!" Shiho chirped.

"I knew that." Yu said as they made their way to the train station.

"Sure you did." Shiho replied with a playful smirk as the train pulled up. The two entered and Shiho turned to her companion.

"Hey, Yu… I want to ask you something."

"Sure. What's up?"

"If… if Ann hadn't butt in… would you have really asked me out on a date to Dome Town?"

"O-oh. Well, you see… um…maybe?" Yu started.

** Very smooth.**

_ Shut up Izanagi. _

Shiho looked at him for a moment before deflating. The girl turned away, and she looked both sad and disappointed at his choice of words. The train doors then opened up, and the two teens went to into the park, the conversation still fresh in both their minds, making the whole thing very awkward.

"So… what do you want to do?" Yu asked as they looked around, only to be answered by someone else entirely.

"SHIHO! YU!" Came the peppy voice of Ann, followed by Ryuji.

"Oh hey guys. What're you two up to?" Yu greeted.

"Oh nothin'. Thanks to you guys, pretty much everyone got it in their heads to come here. We were startin' to think that you went somewhere else for your date when we couldn't find ya." Ryuji explained with a smug look that made Yu want to smack him.

"We're not dating." Yu pointed out.

"Oh yea? Then where were you guys?" Ann asked coyly.

"Stopping at… detours." Shiho answered, refusing to look at Ann.

"YOU WENT TO A LOVE HOTEL?!"

_ How the hell did you come to that conclusion?! _

And of course, there just _had _to be other Shujin students nearby when those particular words came out. Yu couldn't make out their faces, but he didn't have to in order to know that they were shooting him looks that could kill, and would no doubt spread the news to the whole student body.

"NO!" Shiho screamed out, a furious blush rising on her cheeks, while Yu pinched his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

"For God's sake Ann, we only met a few weeks ago. Do you really think that we'd go that far, that soon?" Yu questioned, getting a nervous chuckle in response.

"Hehe. Yea, that does make sense." Ann pointed out, twirling one of her pigtails with a forced smile.

The four stood there, in total silence, and no one knew what to do about it.

** Well, on the bright side, it's no longer awkward, amiright?**

_ Shut up Izanagi!_


	33. Going Straight to the Source

Akechi and Morgana had finally arrived at Dome Town, the amusement park that was second only to Destinyland in terms of popularity. But since that place was rather pricey, many teenagers found Dome Town to be an adequate substitute. Morgana was absolutely in awe of the massive steel behemoths that were the rollercoasters, the playgrounds that were the carnival games, and was incredibly disappointed at the lack of sushi to be found. Akechi, however, was focused solely on finding his other Team members, a briefcase handcuffed to his hand.

"Are we sure they're still here? You think they might have left already?" Morgana asked as they took a stroll down to the haunted house ride.

"They have to be. I told them we'd be coming here." Akechi stated, scanning the area for a pink hair band and silver hair.

"Oh look! There they are!"

Akechi looked to where she was pointing to, and sure enough, he saw Yu, Shiho, Ann, and Ryuji leaving the haunted house ride, with Yu at Shiho with a worried look, as the girl had both of her hands cupped on her mouth, as if she was ready to vomit. Ann, however, was clinging to Yu and Ryuji for dear life, a fact that annoyed the blonde punk. Akechi approached the two.

"Oh, there you are Akechi. We were waiting for you." Yu greeted as Shiho let out a very audible gulp.

"I apologize for the wait. It was very difficult for me to keep Morgana focused with all the attractions."

"Oh hey Akechi, what are you doing with the new girl?" Ann asked before letting out a gasp.

"ARE YOU TWO ON-"

Yu was ready this time, and clasped his hands over Ann's mouth before any other students could get whiff of whatever inaccurate statement she was about to make. He then turned to Akechi with a small grin.

"So, now that you're here, we can get down to schoolwork, yes?"

"Dude, for real? We're in the middle of a big-ass amusement park, and you wanna work on school stuff? Even though we've only been on one ride?" Ryuji asked, disappointment evident in both his face and voice.

"It's important for me, sorry. Thanks for going with us on the ride, it was fun." Yu said as he and Shiho walked away, leaving their two other friends behind.

"Was he serious back there? You've been here for hours on end, and you only rode one ride?" Morgana asked.

"Yup. Because _someone _didn't know where they were going." Shiho answered, glaring at Yu, who turned away sheepishly.

"Well, in any event, do you still have the flash drive?"

Yu fished into his pockets and handed it to the crimson-eyed detective, who smiled.

"Perfect. Now, we just need to sit down and get straight to work. And maybe even sample some pancakes while we're at it. I heard this diner is remarkably fast at making them." Akechi informed as they entered a sit-down restaurant. Shortly after placing their orders, Akechi opened up his briefcase and pulled out his computer. Inserting the flash drive, everyone else watched over his shoulder to see what exactly Yu got from the field trip. After a short while, the screen went black, then walls of red text flying through, and Akechi smiled.

"Now all we need to do is wait and- wait, hold on. Something's not right." the detective pointed out, his smile vanishing as soon as it appeared. On his screen, instead of red text, there was now a red exclamation mark inside a red triangle. The sign soon vanished, and in its place were the sentences; "Unauthorized access detected! Activating emergency protocols!"

"What does it mean by-" Morgana began, only to be cut off by an explosion.

* * *

Mitsuyo Togo sat in her office, clicking a single finger on her desk in annoyance as she typed away at her computer with her other hand. Someone had managed to not only infiltrate her fortress, but also steal priceless information under her nose, and escape. And no one would have been the wiser, had it not been for a hidden program she installed to alert her of a security breach and then trace it back to the source. Her computer itself was mostly untampered with, and it appeared the thief had copied files and then transferred them to a flash drive, but that was a small comfort to the head of Japan's greatest TV conglomerate. After confirming that they also managed to transfer her failsafe virus, the woman visibly relaxed. Her empire was safe, for now.

"Alright thief. Let's see what mistakes you made." Mitsuyo said to herself as she walked over to a nearby display case holding a crimson oni mask. The previous cameras had been hacked and put on a loop, shielding the intruder's identity. But, there was another camera, one only she knew about, and wasn't hooked to any network. Pulling the oni mask out of its case, she held it up to the light and saw that the two cameras were still in its eye sockets, obscured by the case itself. She flipped it over, revealing a chord tied up neatly with a USB plug. Untying it, she plugged in the USB and let the footage roll. Fast forwarding to the time of the break-in, she saw a boy enter and plug in a flash drive. He had his back to the camera, and the woman grumbled, until he turned around. Mitsuyo was prepared to zoom and enhance, but stopped when the thief started to walk around the room, and got close to the mask. Very close. Mitsuyo smiled, glaring at the crystal clear face in front of her. Pausing the video, she called up one of her many agents.

"Hello Emiko. I have a face I need you to sniff out. Start with the students attending Shujin Academy. I expect results by next week." The woman ordered, sending the picture to an email address.

Whoever this kid was, he just signed his death warrant.

* * *

Smoke was pouring from the wreckage that used to be Akechi's computer, the three teenagers and one timeless entity coughing up a storm as they tried to clear the smoke with their hands. Thankfully, the sudden explosion wasn't enough to hurt anyone, but it was bad enough to activate the sprinklers and set off the fire alarm, causing a panic. After the situation was under control, the four were subsequently kicked out and told they would never be allowed in Dome Town again. At first, Yu thought they were exaggerating, until they took the highschoolers' photos and fingerprints. Now, they were standing in the parking lot, wondering what to do next.

** Well… that really blew up in our faces.**

_ Not funny. _

"That certainly didn't go the way I hoped." Akechi stated between coughing fits.

"What happened?" Shiho asked.

"I'd say we tripped some kind of boobytrap. Sorry about the computer." Yu explained.

"I have others, don't worry. Plus, all the data is backed up in the Cloud, so nothing all that valuable was lost. If anything, I should be saying sorry to you, since you risked your life for nothing." Akech replied.

"Now what do we do?" Morgana asked

"We still need a better idea of her personality, or we aren't getting into the Palace anytime soon." Akechi replied.

"Well, how about we go to the guy who gave you this tip to begin with?"

Akechi looked outside. The sun was going down, but it couldn't quite be called a sunset just yet.

"If we're lucky, he might still be at the school painting. Follow me, we might be able to catch him." Akechi ordered, making his way to the train station, discarding the ruined computer in a trash can. It only took them about an hour to arrive at their destination; a highschool that Yu was unfamiliar with.

"This is Kosei High. My informant is likely at the roof." Akechi informed, making his way through the school gates, his friends following closely behind. By now, most of the students had already gone home, giving the school halls barren. Once they reached the roof, they saw two people on the roof. One was a girl with a red braid in her hair that was in the shape of a three-leaf clover. The other was a boy with dark blue hair, and was playing against the girl in a game of shogi. Yu recognized them both as Yusuke and Hifumi, respectively. And they recognized him.

"Hey, aren't you that blonde boy's friend?" Hifumi asked

"Yu Narukami, yes. Surprised you remember me."

"I've seen you a surprisingly often number of times in a few days." Hifumi replied, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

"Must be a coincidence."

"If you don't mind Hifumi-san, we have business with Kitagawa-san." Akechi interrupted.

"That's perfectly fine. I was just leaving." Hifumi said, packing up the board and heading out, glaring at Yu the whole way. Akechi took her spot and sat across from Yusuke.

"How may I be of assistance Akechi-san?" The young artist asked.

"We need some information, if you would be so kind."

"I'm afraid I've told you everything I know that's related to the case."

"You didn't tell me why exactly you started. Why did you decide to go after Mitsuyo Togo?"

"That's rather confidential information Akechi-san."

"We've hit a bit of a roadblock. We can't keep going without your help."

Yusuke placed both of his hands under his chin and looked down to the ground.

"Yusuke, people's lives could be in danger." Akechi pressed, earning a sigh from the student.

"Very well. The girl you saw leave, Hifumi, is Mitsuyo's daughter." Yusuke started, and the group leaned forward, earning a nasty stare from the artist.

"They're with me. Continue."

"It started a few weeks ago. Often times, Hifumi comes up here to practice her shogi skills, and declared that anyone who bested her would take her out on a date. Thanks to her natural beauty, she had no shortage of challengers. But, everytime she played, she had a fire that would light itself and never vanish until the match was over. I have captured that flame many times when I was starting out."

"I'm sensing an important 'but' in there." Morgana interrupted.

"But starting a few weeks ago, that flame has failed to show itself whenever she plays. Not only that, but she had been confronted by many men outside of our school. That's when I confronted her about it."

"And what did she say?" Yu asked.

"She said that her mother had recently begun forcing her to start modeling in place of shogi. At first, Hifumi was fine with it, but slowly but surely, the modeling consumed more and more of Hifumi's life, replacing her time for the sport."

"Why is Hifumi so obsessed with this game?"

"Her father was once renowned across the nation as one of the greatest shogi players in history, but has sadly been ill for a few years. Hifumi admires her father to the point of worship, and wishes to not only make him proud, but also to be like him."

_ I know how that feels _.

"And because Hifumi can't pursue her dreams, she's starting to feel like a prisoner." Akechi finished.

"Hifumi herself was also well-known in the shogi world, but now, she's starting to become shunned there, being seen as a sellout by fellow shogi players. Worse, the modeling is starting to make her more and more popular, thanks to her mother's connections."

"So if this keeps up, her reputation as a player will be beyond repair. Then she'll never be able to do what she wants in life." Shiho stated.

"Yes, and her flame would be forever snuffed out. I could not allow that." Yusuke finished.

"What exactly did you think you could do? I mean, it's not like you could sue her for forcing her daughter to do something she didn't want to do." Yu replied.

"Perhaps, but I knew Hifumi's mother was a prominent media mogul. I figured that someone that powerful would have to have some dirt to use against them. And my demands wouldn't be completely unreasonable, just stop forcing Hifumi to be model. But I certainly wasn't expecting what I found."

"The recording." Yu guessed.

"Yes."

"Is there anything else you think could help?"

"I once asked Hifumi why she didn't ask her mother to stop, she simply replied that her mother had rarely listened to her daughter in any circumstance, and always did something if she could gain something from it. And she's gained much from Hifumi's misfortune."

"I see. Thank you for your help." Akechi said as he got up, followed shortly by his friends. The four left the school and Yu pulled out his phone as they started walking.

"Alright, since that was rather fruitless, I'll give you what I've learned through official channels." Akechi stated, reaching into his coat and pulling out a portfolio. Opening it, he skimmed the papers.

"From what I've been able to learn about her, she started the Togo Information Network from scratch using the money she obtained from her marriage from one Kaito Togo, a well-known and wealthy philanthropist, and quickly developed a reputation for uncovering corruption in the upper echelons of society, often at great personal risk, or so the story each person she exposed, she grew in fame, and her popularity made her an inspiration to many journalist. And now, word has it that she's grooming her daughter to follow in her footsteps. That's about all I have."

"Well, we've tried everything to get info. Now, we just have to figure out the codewords." Morgana said, a little disappointed.

"Let's see… Togo residence." Akechi guessed.

"Candidate not found."

"Are there any places she goes to a lot?" Shiho asked.

"Let's try… Togo News Station." Yu guessed.

"Candidate found."

"Alright! Now for the distortion."

"Let's see. What would a controlling mother see as her workplace?" Akechi pondered.

"A bunker?" Shiho guessed.

"Candidate not found."

"A warship?" Akechi asked.

"Candidate not found."

"A battleground?" Morgana pleaded.

"Candidate not found." Shiho let out a groan.

"Got anything Yu?" Akechi asked, defeated.

Yu thought back to what they knew about Hifumi's mother. She was stubborn, selfish, and very powerful. But there was something else, something he felt he should be remembering. He thought long and hard until Izanagi provided an answer.

** You think it has something to do with that room?**

Yu's mind raced back to Mitsuyo's office. He remembered the room was dotted by artifacts from the feudal era, from armor to masks. She held some admiration and love of that time period. Perhaps…

"Fortress?"

"Candidate found. Please approach destination to begin navigation."

The group let out mighty cheers that got several weird looks from pedestrians. But Shiho looked up at the golden sun starting to dip and a worried look arrived on her face.

"It's starting to get late. You guys think we should begin infiltration now?" Shiho asked.

"I doubt Sae's going to be home, so unless you're worried about your folks Shiho, I don't see a reason to not go tonight."

"Well?" Akechi asked.

"Fine. But let's not stay too long." Shiho agreed.

"Agreed. Best to get the lay of the land first. We'll see what it's like, explore a bit, then leave. Besides, I don't want Sae-san getting suspicious." Yu replied.

The group got on a train and speed their way back to the TV station.

* * *

Mitsuyo had finished up her management for the day, and had to go to a dinner with a potential investor. She also finally managed to secure Rise Kujikawa for an appearance on the studio, and she couldn't afford to let some brat ruin it all. Her mind was still swimming with questions. Who was he? What did he want? Why did he try to steal information from her? The last two she could answer by herself. He wanted something from her, or to bring her down, and he intended to use the information he stole to do it. She started to walk down the stairs when she heard her phone ring.

"Emiko? I didn't expect this so soon."

"I got good news."

"I expected nothing less. Now, who's the brat that's about to have his life ruined?"

"You're not gonna believe this; it's Yu Narukami. As in, Dojima Narukami's kid."

Mitsuyo's eyes widened and a sadistic grin formed on her thin lips.

"You're sure?"

"Yup, but that's not the best part. Apparently, he's got a criminal record, and he's in Tokyo on probation _and _has gotten real close with Goro Akechi. I can't make this up."

The woman's smile grew wider.

"Oh, that's just perfect. I'll handle this personally. Thank you."

"No problem. I almost feel bad for the guy. Almost."

Mitsuyo stepped out of her office and was about to call another one of her contacts so that she could arrange a private meeting with the boy, but found it unnecessary, as she spotted a teenager with silver hair in the crowd. She started to make her way to him, but she saw that he wasn't alone. Akechi was there too, as were two other women, and they were all huddled around his phone.

Mitsuyo froze.

There's no way they found out how to break her failsafe. Right?

The businesswoman scowled. Her watch beeped, signaling that she would be late for her business dinner if she didn't move it. She took one last glare at Yu before she left, silently vowing to make him dearly regret crossing her. If she had kept looking at the group, she would have seen them vanish right before her eyes.


	34. Fortress of Envy

Music: Hifumi's Palace theme

As the familiar sensation of entering the Metaverse passed, the Phantom Team suddenly felt a biting cold and wind that howled like a hungry wolf. They looked around, trying to make sense of what they were feeling, and their eyes widened at the sight. They were currently standing on the edge of a mountain, and directly in front of them was a feudal-style Japanese castle built on a seperate mountainside. There was a narrow bridge that stretched the gaping chasm, far too thin for the Mona-mobile. Walking single-file, everyone clung to the rope rails whenever a minor breeze rattled the structure, but in spite of the non-stop creaking wood, the freezing gale, and the narrow space they had to walk on, they were able to make it across without much difficulty. They stood in front of massive twin iron doors wedged between the rocks.

"Alright, now what? We go barging in?" Shiho asked.

"We can't go through the front entrance, that'll alert everyone that we're here." Morgana pointed out.

"Let's look around. There's got to be another entrance here somewhere." Yu said. While his team split up, he decided to step back in order to look at the castle in full.

In front of him were the iron doors, behind those were stairs that led to the fortress itself. There was a colossal tower that the farthest from the doors, while the rest of the complex was made up of a huge barracks, an armory, the castle itself, and a building that was the size of a warehouse. But furthest from the gates, there was one massive tower looming above them all. He looked around for some way to scale the gates, and saw a cave entrance.

"Guys! Over here!" Yu called to his teammates, who all came running.

"Are we sure we want to go down there? We don't know where it could go." Morgana pointed out.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I'll follow Seeker's lead." Shiho responded.

Yu began to walk down, and as they started to lose light, he summoned Pyro Jack, a Persona that was a Jack-O-Lantern with a lantern in one of its mittens. As Yu began walking, he soon heard a very loud _crunch _. Yu focused Pyro Jack's light and saw what he stepped on; a skeleton bone. After they got over the initial shock, the Team continued, careful not to step on any more human remains.

It didn't long before they saw sunlight coming at the end of the tunnel. They rushed in, but as soon as they got close, they tripped and fell, and the sunlight showed what they fell on. The entire floor was covered in hundreds of skeletons, some in samurai armor, some in fine robes, and some in peasant clothes. As the four started to move, they found it difficult to step anywhere without any bones poking them.

"My God… there's so many." Akechi said in horror.

"Do… do you think these are her victims?" Morgana asked.

"Let's not jump the gun. These are probably her enemies. She might only _see _them as dead. If we're lucky, then they're probably still alive." Yu pointed out.

"And if they are dead in the real world?" Shiho asked.

"Then we make her pay. We need to focus on getting into the fortress." Yu replied, looking straight ahead and seeing a wooden crane ready to pull up a platform.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Yu ordered, forcing his way through the knee-high piles of dead, using his sword to clear the way for the others. After they were on the platform, he pulled a nearby lever, raising the platform above the untold number of bodies.

When it reached the top, the Tricksters saw the exit to the cave, which was right next to the warehouse-like building Yu saw earlier. Pulling out his katana, the Wild Card tore through the paper-thin material and walked through, revealing that the building wasn't really a warehouse, but more like a museum. Dotted all around the walls were various paintings that looked suspiciously like pictures one would find on the front page of newspapers. Yu decided to examine the titles of one of them.

"Pedophile in the Cabinet! Minister of Fair Trade Commission found having sexual relations with seven year old boy!"

"I remember this. Mitsuyo was having one of her people investigate the Minister, and that person caught him sleeping with a child. The Minister claimed innocence, of course, but the evidence was conclusive."

"Hey, there's a scroll here." Shiho pointed out, grabbing it off of a small stone podium under the painting.

"Alright, let's see what we got here." She started, reading it out loud.

"Behold, a man who's laziness led to his downfall. Minister Akihiro was a man of immense power, so powerful that some considered him a threat to our Shogun. Our Shogun believed him unworthy of his power, and thus, desired it for herself. Using her her loyal agents, she managed to successfully drug him, and once the fool was placated, she then had a boy strip naked and then took a picture. After that, the man was accused of sexual deviance, and confined to prison, no matter how many times he pleaded innocent. Now, his power belongs to the Shogun. All hail the Shogun."

"So, he was telling the truth after all." Akechi muttered in disgust.

"Did you work on it?" Yu asked.

"No, the higher ups thought it would be a waste of my talents on a case. And Sae also refused to prosecute him, saying that her intuition told her something was off."

"Do you think… all of these people are people she framed?" Morgana asked, looking through the museum.

Yu couldn't help but clench is fist in fury, and could also feel Izanagi start to stir with rage for the same reason; this was personal. He promised himself right then and there that he'd steal Mitsuyo's heart, if only for this one person, and he would only try harder for every person in this room that was framed. He then felt a gentle tap on his shoulder and saw Shiho looking at him with concern.

"You alright Seeker? You look ready to kill someone."

"This… is personal for me Pariah."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. Not here. Let's keep moving." Yu said abruptly, turning his attention to the rest of the building's interior. Hundreds of paintings littered the walls below, each with their own title and scroll on a small podium. As they began their descent, Yu found another painting, this time with a picture of a man being shoved into a police car, and the title being "Sex trafficking ring busted! Police officer confesses all!" and Shiho picked up the scroll.

"Behold a fool who didn't know his place. Police officer Toshinori was once a loyal subject of our Shogun, and he led a happy life. But his ambition soon outstripped his loyalty. Attempting to blackmail our Shogun, he soon brought down the wrath of our leader. Buying out prostitutes, she then planted evidence to make it look like the officer was a human trafficker. After he was expelled from the empire, he attempted to bring it down by conspiring with its enemies. Thankfully, our Shogun silenced him before his plans bore fruit, and as a result, an even more loyal subject was put in his place, and fear was struck in her enemies', and subjects', hearts as he was stripped of life that only our Shogun deserves. Take heed of this fool's story, and remember that what our Shogun wants, our Shogun will get, especially if it belongs to you. All hail the Shogun."

The three turned to Akechi, who shook his head and grabbed his forehead.

"Officer Toshinori. Right from the start, certain parts of the evidence lined up far too well. When he was brought in, Toshinori said that he'd only speak to me, so I tried, hard, to get to see him, but he died in custody before I could. I later tried to investigate the incident, but red tape and upper management swiftly put an end to my efforts."

"Not even Kobayakawa had the law in his pocket. This woman is on another level." Shiho pointed out, nervousness starting to seep in her words. Yu thought back to that night, to what that man said when he was threatened with the law.

_ "The police are my bitches." _

"Let's keep going." He said, not noticing that he dug his claws so deep into his hands that he drew blood.

They continued moving down the levels of the museum, passing countless more paintings, each one no doubt another tale of an innocent person falling to ruin because they crossed Togo. By the time they reached the bottom, there was only one painting; it was of Mitsuyo's wedding. It was titled "The start of the empire." Just like before, Shiho picked up the scroll, but this time, the podium was made of gold rather than marble. Shiho took it and read it aloud.

"Behold, the event that started our empire. Kaito Togo was a man who came from a wealthy family, and held all the values of a great person; loyalty, tenacity, and honesty, so is it any wonder he married our Shogun? But it wasn't always this way. Once, Mitsuyo called herself the best friend of a wench named Ami Ito, whom was supposed to marry Kaito. Our shogun saw the happiness their union would bring, and wanted it for herself. All that wealth, prestige, and happiness Ami would have did not belong to her, it belonged to our Shogun. To prevent Kaito from making a terrible mistake, our Shogun gave her a drink far stronger than she could handle, found a desperate man in the building, and made sure Kaito saw her being unfaithful. After the wedding was called off, and Kaito made available, our Shogun went to work filling the void Ami had torn in him, and eventually took the place she was supposed to have from the start; by his side. From this union, heir was born but sadly, that was all Kaito did right, and the novelty of having a noble person for a husband quickly wore off. As for his wealth, our Shogun put it to better use than either he, or Ami, ever could, and built the glorious empire you see today. ALL HAIL THE SHOGUN! LONG MAY SHE REIGN!"

The Team looked at each other, and Shiho was so furious she tore the scroll in half.

"That piece of paper can sugarcoat it all it wants, but the fact is plain as day; Mitsuyo Togo is a cruel, envious woman that steals what other people have simply because she doesn't have it." Yu spat.

"I think the contents of this warehouse prove that Mitsuyo needs to have her heart stolen." Akechi pointed out.

"I agree. Forcing her daughter into a life she doesn't want seems to be the least of her crimes." Morgana said, cracking her knuckles.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Shiho growled, glaring at the wedding picture.

"Then we're all in agreement?" Yu asked, and got a nod from everyone in response.

"Then let's keep moving. We're bound to come across a Safe Room soon." Yu ordered, taking them through the front door.

"We should be careful. We haven't seen any Shadows so far. They might be waiting to ambush us." Morgana pointed out as they exited the building. In front of them were pathways to the different buildings.

"Which way's the Treasure?" Yu asked.

"There! It's in that tower, no doubt." Morgana said, pointing straight ahead. The Team bolted to it, knowing that the courtyard would be the perfect ambush point. Once they were inside, they expected to see a horde of Shadows, but all that stood before them was one man dressed in general clothes, and in front of him was a shogi board. The four approached him and he gave a warm smile.

"Greetings young ones. I am Kaito Togo, Mitsuyo Togo's husband and greatest general. Welcome to Togo Castle." He greeted with a small bow.

"Umm… hi?" Yu greeted cautiously, approaching the seemingly harmless man.

"How may I help you?"

"We'd… like to get to the Treasure?" Yu responded, unsure if the cognitive person would know what he was talking about.

"I take it you mean you want access to the most secure and private room in this tower?"

"Yes."

"Ah. To do that, you must best me in a game of Shogi."

Yu looked down at the board and saw that his side was completely empty, while Kaito's side was complete.

"Where are my pieces?"

"Scattered. If you wish to play against me, you must prove that you are worthy of my full might. The pieces are secured with each lesser general, one in each area of the fortress. You must earn these pieces, either by wit or by force." He informed before adding.

"Best of luck to you! Please be safe!" With a gentle smile and a small wave. Yu turned back to his friends and noticed that there was a nearby pair of doors that shimmered. After he entered the Safe Room, he turned to his friends to discuss their next move.

"Alright, for now, I say we head back. When can we resume infiltration?" Morgana asked.

"I have Volleyball practice on Saturday." Shiho answered.

"I have work tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday." Yu informed.

"I have to help out Yu on Sunday."

"Alright, so we won't be able to infiltrate until Monday. Be sure you stock up on supplies leader!" Morgana reminded.

"Yea I know. Let's head back, I don't want to be late for curfew." Yu answered as he teleported them back to the entrance.

* * *

By the time he made it back, it was 9:10 in the afternoon. It wasn't too bad, he thought, after all, he could just warm up some leftovers, eat, then head to bed. He opened the door and walked in with a little joy over the fact he and his Team got into the Palace, and could begin changing society for the better, among other things. Only to have that joy replaced with fear when he saw who was waiting for him.

"Hello Narukami. I trust you have a good explanation as to why you're back after 9." Sae borderline warned as she typed away at her computer.

"I got a job." Yu answered quickly.

"And you didn't inform me because?" Sae asked, not satisfied.

"It was so sudden. A lot of other employers said that they wouldn't hire me, so when I got an offer and they told me to come over right away, I couldn't afford to wait."

"You could've at least sent a text that told me you'd be home late." Sae countered.

"Well, you're rarely here, so-"

Sae closed her computer and gave Yu her signature glare, making the teen want to eat his words.

"Rarely doesn't mean never, Narukami." She hissed.

"S-sorry."

"When do you have to work?"

"Friday and Saturday after school."

"And did you forget that you have to work on Sunday as well? You don't think you're over extending yourself?" She asked.

_ I once had to work three part time jobs and take care of a baby all by myself. Just saying. _

"No Sae-san. But I want to make myself useful."

"Or you want to get rid of your curfew."

**_ Shit._**

"What are you planning Narukami? Tell me honestly, and I won't kick you out." Sae said, her glare drilling holes into his very being. Sweat began to pour down his skin, and he gave a lie, and silently prayed to God she'd buy it.

"There's… a girl I like."

That answer caught Sae off guard. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"Oh… _oooooooooh _!" the prosecutor exclaimed as a blush formed on her cheeks.

"That… explains a lot. Does this girl have a name?" Sae asked

"Um… I haven't asked her out." Yu admitted, prompting Sae to stomp over to him and corner him against the wall.

"Are you stalking her?" She asked, bearing down on him like a hawk.

"No." He squeaked like a mouse.

"Good. Why haven't you asked her out yet?" Sae asked, walking back to her desk with a slight swing to her hips.

"I'm not all that confident in myself. I'm not sure how she'll react."

"Narukami, you shouldn't be afraid to ask her out. Girls like confidence. Besides, what kind of girl wouldn't want you? You're good looking, well-built, mature-"

"And have a criminal record." Yu reminded, making Sae pause, albeit for a few seconds.

"Right. But that didn't stop you from making friends. Don't see why it should stop you from getting a girlfriend." She pointed out, putting her computer in a bag.

"That's… a good point. Didn't know you of all people would give good romantic advice."

"I've dabbled in romance before. But no one's ever lived up to my standards." She replied, placing a hand on her hip and smirking.

"I pity the poor soul that tries to woo you."

"Careful Narukami. I can still kick you out for coming back past 9."

"Go ahead. I'm sure being homeless will _really _impress the girl I'm after."

The two shared a brief chuckle at the sarcasm.

"Alright Narukami, you can stay. But in the future, I expect to be notified of the possibility that you might be late." Sae stated as she started to walk to her room.

"Hey hold on." Yu started.

"Yes?"

"Since I have a job, is it alright if I have my curfew removed?"

Sae stared at him long and hard, not quite going into her signature glare before she finally let up.

"Fine. But if you start getting into trouble-"

"I won't cause trouble for anyone Sae-san. And if I do, then it'll be unintentional. Promise."

"I'll hold you to it Narukami. I'm going to bed now. There are some leftovers in the fridge, be sure to get plenty of rest. You'll want to impress your employer tomorrow." Sae suggested, starting to close the door.

"Thank you Sae-san." Yu said, but before Sae finished closing the door, she added:

"Oh, and Narukami? When you and that girl become an item, I want you to introduce me. I want to make sure she won't be a bad influence on you."

"Sure thing." Yu replied halfheartedly as he stepped in his room to prepare for the next day.


	35. Learning from the Master

Ryuji was on his regular afternoon jog. School had just gotten out, and now that he had decided to take trying to get back on the track team seriously, he had gone on jogs every afternoon after school let out. And every afternoon, he'd check in on Hifumi, who, at first simply glared at him when he did, but eventually just settled for waving at him to show that she saw him. But this time, it was raining, and he forgot his umbrella. This didn't stop him before, so he'd be damned if he let it stop him now. He had entered the church, and, minus the fact that he was completely drenched, everything was fine. But when Hifumi saw him turn to leave, she got up out of her pew and went after him.

"Hey, wait up!" The shogi player called, much to Ryuji's surprise.

"Huh? What is it? Were some assholes giving you trouble again?"

"No, but have you seen how hard it's coming down out there?"

"Yea, what about it?"

Hifumi physically recoiled at this response before grabbing his arm.

"You could catch a cold out there. You should stay in here, at least until the storm passes."

This got a cheeky grin from Ryuji, and the response.

"Oh, you want me to stay with ya eh? I'm cool with that."

Hifumi simply crossed her arms and scowled at him.

"I'm merely concerned for your well-being. Also…"

"Also what?" Ryuji asked, wiggling an eyebrow.

"My Shogi skills are getting rusty. If it isn't too much, I'd appreciate you playing with me. Even if you won't provide much for a challenge." Hifumi challenged, adding the last sentence with a smug grin.

"Oh yea? Bring up the board lady. I'll crush whatever you've got." Ryuji accepted, thrusting a fist into an open palm.

"Hehehe. Hahaha. MUWAHAHAHA! If you face the Togo Queen with such a haughty attitude, defeat is all but guaranteed!" Hifumi cackled. Most people looked at her like she was a mad scientist, but Ryuji not only grinned wider, but joined in.

"The Togo Queen? More like the Togo Tyrant! You're peasants have revolted, and now, it is time for your reign to end!" Ryuji retorted as Hifumi set up the board.

"A revolt?! Against their queen?! Well, let us see if their tactics match their passion!"

"The age of Togo is over! The Sakamoto Dynasty will come soon enough!" Ryuji promised as the board was set up.

* * *

The Sakamoto Dynasty never came to pass. For starters, it wasn't until the game started that it dawned on Ryuji that he didn't even know how to play. Once Hifumi finished teaching him, pretty much all of the bravado had drained from both of them, and they had returned to normal human beings. Though, it was probably for the best, since two played several games, and Ryuji lost all of them. The poor peasants never stood a chance.

"It looks like the storm's gone. You should probably head back." Hifumi suggested, looking at one of the windows.

"Yea yea." Ryuji agreed glumly.

"What's wrong? I thought the age of Sakamoto was coming." Hifumi taunted.

"I'll be back Hifumi. Your reign will end by my hand!" Ryuji declared with a dramatic pose, making Hifumi giggle.

"I'll hold you to it. I misjudged you Ryuji. We should do this more often."

"Sure, I'm down for it. Though, I'm gonna kick your ass one day, your majesty."

"Uh huh, yea sure." Hifumi retorted half-heartedly as Ryuji left the church.

_Earlier… _

Yu had just gotten out of school, and made his way to Cafe Leblanc with an umbrella sheltering him from the relentless shower. This would be his first day on the job, and he had a great deal to be nervous about, so much so that made an offering to the shrine along with a prayer to not screw it up. Arriving at the little coffee shop, he saw Sojiro waiting for him, and surprisingly few customers, most likely because of the rain. The man grumbled at seeing Yu, who noticed that Wakaba was missing, meaning that he had to really step up his game if he wanted to keep this job.

"So, you actually came?" The coffee house owner grumbled.

"Yes sir."

"Great, now I _have _to work with you. How much do you know about making coffee?"

"There are beans grown and imported around the world, the elevation and climate allowing them to alter the flavor, sweetness, and overall taste of the drink. As for actually making it, there's roasting, then grounding, then brewed, and finally, separation from the beans."

Sojiro widened his eyes in amazement.

_ Good thing I looked all that up before coming here. _

"You looked all that up before coming here, didn't you?" Sojiro asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I wanted to impress you."

"Well, consider me impressed. Now, put on an apron and get behind the counter. It's time you learned a thing or two."

Yu did as he was told, and waited for further orders from the man.

"Now, this cafe has been around for twenty years now. We serve curry, cake, some cinnamon rolls on christmas, but what everyone comes here for is a good cup of joe. If you serve a single bad cup, you're fired. So, since Wakaba doesn't want that, I'm going to teach you some of our more popular drinks so that you can at least hold your own."

"What do I need to do?"

"Let me explain."

Sojiro explained the ins and outs of experienced coffee making, the different temperatures of different beans, and the background of each bean. He also said, very clearly, that Yu was not to touch any of the expensive beans, and if he did, he was fired, but should a customer come by and want a cup with those beans, Sojiro would handle it. The second Sojiro finished his explanation, the doorbell rang, signaling a new customer had entered.

"Alright kid. Show me what you've learned. Take this customer's order." Sojiro ordered, turning to the new arrival.

"Welcome." Yu greeted, only for his face to lose all of its color once he saw who it was.

"Hello, I would… Narukami? What are you doing here?" Sae Niijima asked.

"Oh, that's right, you live with her." Sojiro mused to himself.

"This is the job I told you about." Yu informed.

"I see. Sakura-san's standards are high, so I hope I'm not going to be disappointed." Sae replied with a genuine smile.

"I hope you aren't disappointed either." Yu replied, now more relaxed.

"But remember, you're supposed to write in your diary, even if your curfew is gone."

"Understood Sae-san. Now, what can I get you?"

"I'll take the house blend, please."

"House blend coming up."

Yu went to work, while Sojiro hoovered over his shoulder like a hawk. Roast, then ground, then brew just like Sojiro taught him, Yu also noticed that Sae was watching just as closely, though for some reason, Yu had the feeling it wasn't so that she could keep an eye on her drink. Once he was done, he humbly presented the cup, and Sae took a sip, sampling it. She then let out a soft moan of approval.

"It's not as good as Sakura-san's, but I still find it satisfactory. Nicely done, Narukami. Keep practicing." She complimented, drinking the rest of the cup. Sojiro turned to the teenager, a gentle smile on his lips.

"Well, well kid. You actually managed to pull it off."

"I take it that means I'm not fired?"

"No, not yet. But maybe I was wrong about you."

"I'm glad I surprised you. Twice."

"Yea yea. Tomorrow, I'm gonna teach you how to make curry, but for now, let's focus on getting you some practice with any customers that come in."

_I am thou. Thou art I. _

_Thou hast acquired a new vow. _

_It shall become the wings of rebellion that will lead thee to the truth. _

_With the birth of the _**_Hierophant_**_Arcana, _

_Thou hast obtained the blessings that will grant thee new power. _

* * *

It was 9:30 at night when Yu was told to leave the coffee shop. Though "told" was a bit of a stretch. It was more like "forcibly removed". But Yu was able to earn 7,200 Yen, so he left satisfied and began to make his way down the street, when a thought popped into his head. He would have to write in his probation diary soon, and that thought made him stop in his tracks. If he was going to continue leading the Phantom Team, then they were going to garner attention, and Sae would no doubt read his diary. If he tried to get rid of what he had and then re-write what he had in the diary, Sae would notice and get suspicious. If he tried to not let her read it, she'd get suspicious. If he stopped writing, she'd throw him out. Yu had to think of something, and think of it before they went after their next target in force.

"Thank you! Please come again!" A store owner shouted to an exiting customer. Yu turned his head to the second-hand store, and thought of an idea. He made his way to Shibuya Main Street, and hoped a certain store was still open before heading home.

* * *

After making his way out of the store he had in mind, and he suddenly felt his phone buzz, and he pulled it out, seeing the name he gave Shoichi; 'Mad scientist'. He had sent a single text

Mad Scientist: Young one, I require your assistance. See me at the clinic at once.

Yu: It's way too late. I need to head home.

Mad Scientist: Irrelevant. Remember the terms of our bargain.

Yu let out a groan. They did have a Palace to infiltrate, and they would need meds. He got out his phone and shot another text to someone else

Yu: I'm going to be back late tonight.

Sae: Understood. Don't do anything you shouldn't.

_ Wow. That was easy. _

Yu made his way to the secluded clinic, and barely made a single knock before the door flung open, Shoichi's face akin to a teenager's when someone walked in on them masturbating. He then looked at Yu with a crooked smile before grabbing the boy and forcing him inside, slamming the door behind him.

"At long last, you arrived." Shoichi declared, feeling Yu up and down.

"Y-yes… I'm here." He stammered, his mood going from annoyed to very very afraid.

"And not a moment to soon. To the exam room!" Shoichi ordered, dragging Yu to the place where they tested the mystery medicine. And Yu could only imagine how the next batch would taste this time.

"You're in a much better mood than last I saw you." Yu pointed out.

"That is irrelevant. I have finally made strides in my research. And your bland health profile has been most invaluable. Now, we are ready to take the next step."

Shoichi grabbed a vial containing a blue liquid and handed it to Yu.

"Drink this, young one."

Yu, with shaking hands, grabbed the vial and forced it down his throat in one go. It tasted far too sweet, and it burned, like he was drinking alcohol, but at least the taste was tolerable. He felt the fluid sizzle as it traveled down his throat, but much to his surprise, it didn't leave an aftertaste, nor did it damage his throat like it did last time. Shoichi grabbed his noteboard and pen, then stared at Yu, who was starting to feel… funny, his eyes starting to glaze over.

"How do you feel?"

"Bruh, if I punch myself and it hurts, am I weak, or strong?" Yu asked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Bruh, Halloween is just a global cosplay event."

"What are you talk-?"

"Bruh, children are legal slave labor."

"Oh my goodness."

"Bruh, 'that's great dear' is grandma's version of 'cool story bro.'"

"What have I done?"

"Bruh, cereal is a soup."

"This was supposed to be for the betterment of mankind."

"Bruh, if you call a dude a dog, you're calling them a son of a bitch."

"I regret everything."

"Bruh, whoever said 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' has clearly never heard of comas."

"Kill me now."

* * *

A good 30 minutes had passed of Yu spouting utter nonsense, deep philosophical questions, and everything in between before he suddenly passed out. After that whole ordeal was finished, Yu woke up and rubbed his head. Shoichi was scribbling like mad on his noteboard. The teen leaned forward and grabbed his skull, which was pounding like a jackhammer. The doctor saw Yu finally getting up and set his noteboard down.

"Ah, you've come to. How do you feel?"

"Like I just went to a frat party. What happened?"

"You drank the liquid as instructed, and then you started… talking."

"About what?" Yu asked, worried he might've accidentally spilled the beans about the Metaverse.

"Things…"

"That's incredibly vague."

"You want to hear it for yourself?" the doctor offered.

"Yes please." Yu agreed.

Shoichi hit play, and Yu immediately regretted it.

"Bruh, pants aren't an issue when you're quantum shitting through the nth dimension."

"Oh god." Yu cringed.

"I know. And I had to endure that, and worse for 30 minutes."

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I would have endured 30 hours for these test results. The medicine will be perfected yet."

"That's good to hear. And speaking of meds, I need some more."

Shoichi extended his arm and beckoned, silently telling Yu to hand over the cash. The teen complied, forking over the money he had earned today. The doctor opened up a cabinet to reveal several vials full of pills. He grabbed two and tossed them to his patient, who nodded in appreciation. As Yu left, he heard Shoichi call to him.

"Oh, young one?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for coming on such short notice. I greatly appreciate it."

"Sure. Just… call me a bit earlier, alright?"

"I make no promises young one."


	36. Mole in the Mafia

Yu had made his way to Cafe Leblanc. It was a far nicer day, and that meant more customers. When he entered, he saw Sojiro glare at the teenager, but handed him his apron so that he could get to work. Yu noticed out the corner of his eye that Wakaba was here this time as he put his apron on, and got to work. It took a few hours, but one by one, the customers left as the rush died down, each one offering thanks for the coffee, congratulating Sojiro for finally finding decent help, and complementing how well Yu was able to brew their respective drinks. When only about one or two were remaining, Sojiro turned to his worker, and Yu noticed Wakaba divert her attention to the pair.

"Alright. I said I'd teach you how to make curry last time, so listen closely and let me explain." Sojiro started.

The gruff coffee shop owner went on to explain the various intricacies of curry making, from how to sweeten it with honey, to the various spices used to enrich the flavor, to how long the pot is supposed to cook. Once he was done, he looked into the kitchen and turned to Yu.

"Alright kid, I gotta go to the store to pick up ingredients. You stay here and take care of any customers. Wakaba, please make sure he doesn't burn the place down, or steal any cash."

"Sure thing Soji. I'll watch this felon like a hawk! If he tries anything, he'll know the wrath of my killer wheels." Wakaba said in a lighthearted tone. Sojiro simply nodded as he left, and Wakaba rolled up to him, grinning. Now that he was with her, Yu decided to give her an evaluation. She had straight, jet-black hair, was wearing a leather business skirt, a black, sleeveless turtleneck and half-rimmed glasses. She smirked.

"Alright youngin', yer in my house now! Yer either gonna learn to play by my rules, or yer gonna learn to play dead." She said, putting up an obnoxious southern accent. Yu chuckled at her act.

"What's so funny scum? Yer in the Sakura Dog House! We're known fer our coffee an' curry across the country and real high standards. We have a reputation of firing help if they so much as make one bad cup 'o joe."

Wakaba coughed up a storm after finishing that last sentence. After clearing her throat, she turned back to Yu.

"Alright, that's enough of the accent. Really hurts the throat after awhile." She explained.

"What was that all about?"

"I can imagine Soji gave you a really hard time yesterday, so I took it upon myself to make you feel more welcome. We were never properly introduced, were we? I'm Wakaba Sakura." Wakaba introduced, holding out her hand, which, Yu noted, had a ring on it.

"Yu Narukami. And thanks. Most people wouldn't do that around a convicted criminal."

"You said you were innocent, right?"

"Yea, but I didn't expect you to believe it. Hardly anyone does."

"Well, even if you were guilty, I'd still put on a show."

"Why?"

"Because you're trying to change. Most felons, once they're out, will either try to go back to what they were doing before, or try to reform. Sadly, because most people treat them like Soji treats you; with distrust and contempt, they'll eventually go back to their old life, simply because they don't want to put up with people's crap, and because they have no other option."

"And then they get put back in jail, and the cycle starts all over again." Yu finished.

"Exactly. Whether or not you're guilty doesn't matter. What does matter is how people treat you. Soji may think that it's only a matter of time before hiring you bites him in the ass, but you've got me in your corner."

"I appreciate it but… would you mind telling me why?"

"Honestly? If Futaba vouched for you, then you must be pretty close to her."

"So, you're doing it for her?"

"That, and well… let's just say that we've all done something in the past that we're paying for today." She added, patting her immobile legs with her hand.

Now she had Yu's curiosity.

"If you're comfortable about it, I'd like to hear it." He said.

Wakaba looked around and noticed that the last customer had left, she leaned in and gave a hushed whisper.

"Serve me a plate of curry that'll blow my mind, and I'll tell you the secrets of the universe."

* * *

Yu smiled, and turned his attention to the bubbling cauldron that was the curry cooking pot. He dipped a tasting spoon into the stew and tasted it, giving a grimace as he did. It was far too sweet, he would need to spice it up. He smiled as he looked into the fridge, finding more than enough ways to do just that.

A few customers had come and gone, and Yu managed to satisfy them all, using them as guinea pigs for his curry preparation. Some of them complained that it was too mild, some too spicy. By the time Sojiro returned, Yu believed that he had it nailed down. As Sojiro went in the back to put the fresh supplies away, Yu made one last plate of curry and handed it to Wakaba, to tasted it, making loud, obnoxious chewing noises as she did so. She swallowed, then looked up at the ceiling, then looked back at Yu.

"This is pretty good. Almost exactly like Soji's. The kind I've had a thousand times."

"So… I failed?"

"To blow my mind? Yup. But look on the bright side, at least you know how to make the best curry this side of Shibuya."

"Yea, that would help keep me in the job."

"Well, regardless, I believe that no good deed should go unrewarded. Let me tell you something." Wakaba started.

"Hey kid. Your shift's over." Sojiro informed, placing a small pile of cash on the counter.

"Now take your money and get out."

"Yes sir." Yu replied numbly, taking his apron off, then leaving with his money in hand. Wakaba shot a glare at Sojiro before wheeling after Yu. Catching up to him, she grabbed his arm, and spoke softly when he turned around.

"I'm so sorry about that."

"It's not your fault. He said the same thing yesterday." Yu replied, sounding distant with every word.

"That doesn't make it right."

"Nowadays, I'm used to being judged prematurely by people around me."

"It's a terrible thing when a person becomes used to abuse."

"It happens."

Wakaba simply sighed. It broke her heart seeing someone being mistreated because of circumstance beyond their control, especially for someone so young. It hit way too close to home for her.

"If that's everything, I should start going home." Yu pointed out, turning away.

"Wait. I still didn't give you your reward."

"You mean what you were planning on telling me?"

"Yes. What I wanted to say was… thank you."

"You're welcome. Sojiro-san would fire me if he found out I served his wife a terrible plate of curry."

"No, it's not for the curry. It's for being nice to Futaba, even after what she did to you."

Yu opened his mouth, but Wakaba silenced any argument by simply holding up a hand.

"Futaba told me about what she did. Leaking your record, helping Kobayakawa blackmail fellow students. Most people would be justified in trying to find revenge and beat her to a pulp, but you decided to forgive her. Not only that, but you gave her a chance to redeem herself. Most people would treat her like trash if they were in your position, but you showed her kindness and forgave her. _That's _what I'm thanking you for."

"It was nothing."

"Not to me. Now-"

Wakaba cleared her throat.

"-Go on an' scram youngin'!" She ordered with the obnoxious southern accent.

Yu smiled, and obeyed, walking to the train station, feeling his phone buzz, and upon seeing who it was from, his mood darkened again.

_I am thou. Thou art I _

_Thou hast acquired a new vow _

_It shall become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth _

_With the birth of the _**_Hermit _**_Arcana, _

_Thou hast obtained the blessing that will grant thee new power _

* * *

Underneath a railway track bridge, Kaneshiro was waiting outside for a special someone. Someone who could help him with his problem. But it was getting late, and it was well past the meeting time. He turned to leave, but then he heard someone call his name. Turning around, he saw a certain silver-haired teenager. Who was none too happy to see the cop.

"I got your text Kaneshiro. This had better not be something illegal." Yu stated, crossing his arms.

"Oh relax kid. If I wanted something illegal done, I wouldn't ask the son of the great Dojima to do it."

"And what do you want done?"

"Follow me. With luck, we can still arrive ahead of them."

The two boarded a train that made way to Shibuya. Kaneshiro turned to Yu to explain what he was doing.

"Alright, here's the deal. There's a woman who's currently in that diner, and she's waiting to meet a man with a scar across his nose. You're going to eavesdrop on that woman, and makes sure your phone's on so I-"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on." Yu interrupted, putting up his hands.

"What?"

"I'm not doing this without some more info. Who are these people?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. Because if they're criminals, and catch me eavesdropping, things will get ugly."

"Better make sure you don't get caught then."

The train ride didn't really take that long. Shortly afterwords, the train came to a halt, and the duo made their way out of the station and onto the street in a matter of minutes. Once they were outside, Kaneshiro noticed the man with the scar walking into the diner. He turned to Yu.

"Listen here Narukami. This is the best shot I've got at closing a long, complicated, and frankly unhappy chapter of my life. You do as I say, and I promise I'll tell you everything your little heart desires. Got it?"

"Fine. But you'd better-"

"Yea yea, just get in there. And remember, keep the phone on speaker." Kaneshiro said, waving his hand.

With that, Yu walked into the diner. Thankfully, there weren't all that many people there, so he didn't have to wait long to get seated. Making sure the waitress led him over to a table near the man he saw enter, he put his phone on speaker and made it look like he was texting. He was sitting across from a woman who had her eyes obscured by sunglasses and was wearing a bandana that covered her hair. Yu wished that Kaneshiro didn't ask for his phone to be on, otherwise he could've just sent Izanagi to eavesdrop on them. After he ordered some fruit tea, he heard the woman begin to talk.

"So, what made you want to come back?" The man asked.

"It took a lot of work to get the old gangs back under control. Even more to make them follow me."

"So that means we're back in business?"

"Not quite. In fact, there are a few… stubborn individuals that don't see me the same way after… you know."

"How could I forget. What about Kaneshiro? You can bet he's keeping an eye out and an ear to the ground for anything related to you."

"Let me handle him. I've heard that he's stuck at a desk job in some nowhere station. It'll take awhile to convince him, but I got him once. I can get him again."

"You sure about that boss? You burned him real good last time."

"Trust me. You just worry about what I told you to do. Speaking of which. How's it looking?"

"Looking pretty good. Some of the tips and tricks you got from your ex are really helping us out. The only trouble we've had is with Iwai's clan."

"Good to know. Thanks Mac."

"Sure thing. You need something else, let me know."

With that, the two of them finished their drinks and left a few yen to cover the bill. Yu put his phone off speaker and put his phone up to his ear as his drink arrived.

"Please tell me you got that."

"Every last syllable. So, that bitch thinks she can make a fool out of me twice. Thanks for the help kid."

Yu took a sip of his drink.

"And you remember what you need to do, right?"

"Yea yea. Meet me at the station kid."

* * *

Yu had arrived, where he saw Kaneshiro looking through some papers. Most likely reports on whoever it was they eavesdropped on. Once he saw the teenager, Kaneshiro put the papers down and took a seat.

"Alright kid, you wanted my life story, so it's my life story you're gonna get. You may want to sit down."

"I can stand. And I don't want your life story. Just the relevant bits."

"You sure kid? It might get a little… heavy for someone your age."

"Considering what I've been through, yea, I'm sure I can."

"Alright tough guy. Once upon a time, I was an undercover agent, infiltrating the Mafia, which had been on the rise since a man by the name of Ozi Arisa had taken over. Now, the Mafia had gotten real good at sniffing out rats, with some of our best agents winding up dead, and our normal informants were either too spooked or just not willing to talk. This wound up leaving the department desperate, so they went to me. The reason they didn't before was because I had a personal connection with the boss' daughter, and now, that would probably be the only thing that could keep me alive. Once the two of us 'reconnected', I gave her a few complaints about my fake life as a ramen chef, and she took pity on me."

"And offered you a much better job."

"Correctamundo. I had to prove myself, had to let a few of them beat on me so that they would think I was just a harmless chef. After that, they 'trained' me and set me loose so I could show them what I could do. I dealt drugs, murdered some street vendors, even did some human trafficking. I was so good at it, I got a promotion in the force."

As Kaneshiro explained his story, he smiled widely with crooked teeth, like a wolf that found a juicy piece of meat. It disgusted Yu how much pride the cop had in his exploits undercover.

"After that, the boss' daughter and I got a little cozy, if you catch my drift, and eventually, I was able to make it to the inner circle of the big man himself. After that, I discovered that there was a traitor on our end, one who had been feeding the Mob info on who our undercover guys were. His name was Mac Maul, he was the dude with the scar on his nose. He also has one across his chest."

"How do you know that?"

"I gave him both." Kaneshiro answered, smiling proudly at the memory before continuing.

"Anyway, the only person who knew I was undercover was the Superintendent, so not even Mac knew I was a rat. So any, lots of stuff happened, and eventually, it all came to a head when I finally gave the police what they needed to put Ozi away for good. But it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows." Kaneshiro continued, his once toothy grin starting to be replaced with a fierce snarl.

"Once the cops were done taking down the big guns and removing Mac, I told them I was undercover, so imagine my surprise when they snapped cuffs on me. I found out the Superintendent had been murdered, and the evidence pointed to me."

"And yet, here you are. Something must have happened, because there's no way that someone with your physique could've survived a prison with a bunch of other people you betrayed."

"I'll have you know, that there was a time when I was super ripped kid. Anyway, before they could throw me in the slammer, we found out the Superintendent and Ozi's girl had worked out a deal. Apparently, she wanted to take over her daddy's operation, and the Superintendent sent me to help her do that, since he knew that I would do my damndest to not take her down with her old man. He also knew that Mac was a traitor but didn't do anything about it so that the higher-ups would have no choice but to send in me. Once I did my job, the Superintendent got a promotion, and his partner got her empire. Unfortunately, she didn't like loose ends, so she killed the Superintendent, and tried to pin the blame on me. I would most likely be dead in prison if it wasn't for the actions of a mutual acquaintance of ours."

"Mutual acquaintance?"

"Goro Akechi is the one and only reason I'm still alive. He found evidence that I was set up, and was on the police's side the whole time. But, thanks to the whole fiasco, the higher ups didn't trust me, so I was stuck working the desk job."

".… I see."

"I see? That's all you got kid?"

"What'd you expect?"

"I don't know. Maybe a little sympathy for someone who put his life on the line for society, only to be almost damned by that same society for a crime he didn't commit."

Yu opened his mouth to retort, but quickly shut it. He was expecting an excuse, maybe Kaneshiro stroking his ego. He certainly didn't expect that. He looked at the cop and gave nod of understanding.

"So what happens now?"

"Now? You get to go home kid. I'll tell you when, or if I need you. But you've been a big help. You get a five percent discount on all guns from here on out."

"Thanks Kaneshiro."

"Don't mention it."

With that, Yu went home, mentally preparing himself for working for his guardian for the first time. Coincidentally, he felt a shiver up his spine.


	37. Working for Justice

"Except for you."

"Yes. Except for me. I'm bringing you along to take notes about the interrogation. Hopefully, we can get him to talk before his lawyer gets here."

"And if his lawyer is there?"

"Then we'll have to find another way to get him to talk. But let me worry about that." Sae said with a wink. The elevator door opened up, revealing nothing but a long hallway, and the only door was at the end of it. As they approached, Sae stopped and turned to her newest assistant.

"Remember, note down anything you find useful. Also, be sure to write down certain tics he does, like eye twitches, and what triggered them."

"Got it."

"In that case, are you ready?"

"Absolutely."

"Good."

Sae opened the door, revealing a man with blonde hair with two loose and curly strands framing his face. He was wearing a green button-up shirt with a white coat and purple tie with yellow cats on it. His eyes were violet in color, and seemed to hold a cold, calculating, and piercing gaze to them, not unlike Sae's own eyes. The difference was that his eyes held complete boredom, while Sae's held determination.

"Hello Yoshikage. I trust you know who I am?"

The man simply nodded.

"Alright then. This young man is my assistant Yu Narukami."

"Hello." Yu greeted.

"That's a very nice suit. Could you tell me where you got it?" Sae questioned.

"I want my lawyer."

"Well, that's very suspicious."

"You heard me. I'm not saying anything until my lawyer gets here."

"Are you sure that's very wise? I'm here to help you."

"No you're not. I know your reputation. Though I'm a little surprised a woman has more balls than everyone else here."

Yu scanned Sae's face. If she had any anger at the remark, she certainly didn't show it. Still holding the neutral stance she had at the start of the interrogation, she continued questioning him.

"There's a reason for that. I've heard of your reputation. You're well-known and feared throughout the criminal underworld and the police force. Your crimes read like a novel."

"That ain't true. There's only one crime I've been accused of."

"And your victims are just as many. Almost like you had difficulty controlling yourself." She continued, ignoring his remark.

"Well I can't help it. The girls dress like sluts, they're pretty much asking for me to show them what a real man is like. And I'm more than happy to oblige."

"I don't believe that anyone has ever asked to be murdered. And I doubly doubt a real man would do just that, let alone with pride." Yu pointed out.

"Fuck off old man. Go back to the nursing home you came from."

"I see. Thank you for the confession Yoshikage."

"Confession? I didn't-"

"They're pretty much asking for me to show them what a real man is like. And I'm more than happy to oblige." Yu quoted, which made the accused widen his eyes.

The two silver-haired individuals left the room, the confession recorded and on tape. As they rode up in the elevator, Sae turned to her ward.

"So, what did you get down?"

"First, what he was accused of. Second, he unwittingly confessed. Third, his eye twitched when I countered his talk of being a 'real man', which suggests that he has some degree of pride in his definition of being a 'real man'. Fourth, his middle and index fingers almost kept clicking non-stop when you brought up the yakuza, suggesting that he holds some semblance of fear for them. Perhaps his connections aren't as strong as we've been led to believe. And that's about it. How'd I do?"

"Impressive. Very impressive. Though that was a surprisingly easy interrogation. I wish they all went down so quickly and effortlessly."

Sae turned to him and smiled. In her eyes were acknowledgement, and… something else. Something that almost seemed to be a mix between sending a warning and accepting a challenge. Yu knew that his guardian's smile was genuine, but it wasn't because of joy, but rather… excitement, like she had something to look forward to.

** This was a test Yu. And we passed. Now, she's silently telling us that we have her full attention. From here on out, we'll have to proceed with caution.**

_ Agreed. We don't know the lengths she'll go to to find… whatever she wants to find. _

** Do you think she knows that we're the leader of the Team?**

_ If she did, she'd confront us. As it stands, I think she's just testing us, like you said. _

** Doing crime while living with the person who punishes criminals. This should prove very exciting. Just don't get caught, alright?**

_ I won't. _

"Think it was because he let his guard down and thought that because you're a woman, you couldn't do it?" Yu asked.

"That's exactly it. You're catching on quickly." Sae replied.

"Doesn't it get annoying? Being constantly underestimated?"

"At first, I hated it. But now, I realize I could make a cure for cancer, colonize Mars, and discover Atlantis, and it still wouldn't earn the respect of my peers. After I accepted that, I learned to appreciate the advantage of being underestimated. The looks of surprise never get old."

"That explains why you didn't have any reaction to his comment on you having more balls than everyone else."

"I actually took it as a compliment. Besides, I've heard so much worse from my coworkers."

"Really? Like what?"

"Let me think… She's only here because she flashed her tits. The only way she gets cases done is by screwing the jury. I'm pretty sure she whores her sister out for extra pay." the prosecutor listed off.

"That sounds awful."

"I got used to it. In fact, when I heard that your record was leaked, all I could think was how I was treated when I first started here."

"How'd you get over it?"

"I became the close-quarters combat instructor. And I got to decide who needs extra practice."

The doors opened, and the two of them shared a small chuckle at Sae's remark. Once their laughter had died down, they made their way over to Akechi's desk. The teen gave a small wave as they approached.

"Good evening Sae-san. How goes the case with Yoshikage?"

"A lot better than I thought Akechi. We got him to confess."

"Already? Well done." Akechi congratulated.

"We're not done yet. I need you to deal with the paperwork for prosecution while I try to get a judge that'll take the case. Yoshikage's reputation won't change just because I talked to him."

"Unfortunately. But I'll get right to work. May Narukami assist me? I could use the extra pair of hands."

Sae looked reluctant. Very reluctant. She pressed her index finger and thumb to her chin and stared at Yu long and hard, like a hunter debating whether or not to take a shot that wasn't all that clear. Finally, she let out a sigh.

"Fine. But I want him back before lunch break is over." Sae said.

"Thank you Sae-san."

The red-eyed prosecutor nodded and walked away, leaving Yu and his teammate alone.

"So where do we begin?" Yu asked, looking over the desk.

"Oh, I already did the paperwork. I could tell that you just wanted to get away from her."

"Was it that obvious?"

"No. I'm just that good."

"Well, if you did your work, what are we going to do?"

"Well… remember that diner I took you to?"

"Yea."

"They're serving pancakes now."

* * *

Now that it was getting close to noon, the diner was getting extremely crowded. Fortunately, since Akechi was one of the more frequent customers, they were able to find a spot for the Detective Prince and his friend. After they had ordered; Akechi with pancakes, and Yu with three corn dogs, the two high schoolers began to talk.

"How often do you come here in order to have the whole staff know your name?" Yu started.

"Yu, everyone knows my name. Famous detective, remember?"

"Yea, but you also know everyone else's."

"They have name tags."

"Akechi…" Yu pressed, refusing to let his curiosity go unfulfilled.

"I try to make it about twice a day. Three if I can."

"Wow. And you eat pancakes every time?"

"Of course not." Akechi said with a small chuckle before sitting.

"If I did, they'd stop being special."

"I sense a story behind this."

"It'll be a long one. And extremely personal."

"You just have to tell me the relevant bits."

"How about this; you tell me what you did to get a criminal record, and I'll tell you why pancakes are so near and dear to my heart."

Akechi knew why Yu had a record. He knew that his partner was innocent. And he had a good idea as to the identity of the man Yu met. But he wanted to see if Yu trusted him as much as he trusted Yu. The silver-eyed teen nodded.

"Fair enough. Though, I'm pretty sure you've already figured it out. Basically, I've been falsely accused of assault, and the reason for that is because the quote 'victim' was harassing a woman, and I stepped in. Because he was also a rich person with connections, he was able to create a rigged trail that would've landed me in juvie if it wasn't for my dad. And that's about it."

"You told that tale with relative ease."

"That's because I've told it before to Sae-san."

"True enough. In that case, get ready. My story… is going to be a heavy one."

Akechi looked outside, watching people come and go, looking at their phones, idly chatting with friends, pushing past strangers, and generally going about their day without any concern for anything else around them. Oh how he wished he could be like that.

"It all begins with my mother. She had gotten wrapped up with a good-for-nothing man, and after having me, was abandoned by him. But she didn't hold it against me. Instead, she loved me as much as she could, but since we were poor on account of my father taking everything she had, she felt that wasn't enough. She would force herself to work several odd jobs a day, earning mere scraps for her back-breaking work. What money she earned went to giving me as good an education as possible. For her sake, I excelled in the classroom, mastered every subject I was given, completed every test flawlessly. But because of her work hours, she couldn't be around to celebrate my victories with me."

"That sounds awful."

"It was awful. Whenever she could come home, it was when I was gone. Finally, one night, I stayed up until one in the morning to see her. When she arrived and saw me half awake and waiting to see her, she went with what little spare money she had left over and bought a bell. A little, cracked copper bell. She told me that whenever I heard the bell ring, it meant that she was home, that the two of us were together at last. As I got older, she finally managed to land a stable job that didn't require her to puke her guts out in order to earn decent pay."

Akechi started to smile.

"Those were easily the best times of my life. She was there to congratulate me in victory, and patch me up in defeat."

"Is that where the pancakes come in?"

"Yes. Whenever I came home with news that I had scored the top of my class, mom would always go out, buy pancake mix, and make delicious pancakes for the two of us, and she would put in chocolate chips on special occasions like Christmas or my birthday."

Akechi's bright smile faded to a forlorn frown.

"But nothing good lasts forever. One day, while I was in seventh grade, a man came by to talk to my mom. After the two met, mom told me to go to my room, and then I heard loud arguing, and it ended with mom begging the man to 'spare him'. After the man left, mom got into my room, and hugged me tight. She told me she loved me more than anything in the world, that she was so proud of me, and that, despite the circumstances that led to my birth, she was happy she had me. She then made my favorite meal; pancakes, and after I was done eating and went to bed, she went out the door. For the next two days, the bell didn't ring. For the next two days, I had to eat instant ramen for dinner. For the next two days, I wondered when, if ever, my mother was coming back. On the third day, I got my answer. The door opened and three cops came in and told me the news; my mother died in a tragic accident. Since I was technically still young, I was thrown out of the house and into an orphanage. Since then, I worked odd jobs until I had enough money to get the apartment I live in now. And the rest is history."

"Wow. You're right. That story was heavy."

"Here you are boys. Sorry it took so long." The waitress said, dropping off their food.

"You know, I had something similar while dad was still coming to terms with mom's death." Yu said as the two started to eat.

"Really?"

"Yea. I was about in the second year of junior high. I had to find three part-time jobs; one was as a private tutor to a boy, another was as a daycare assistant, and the third was as a janitor in a hospital. All the money I earned went to us keeping our house and feeding me and my sister, who was entering kindergarten. This went on for about a year and a half, and for every day, I was forced to cook nothing but salmon."

"Ouch."

"Yea. Worse yet, there were times when I had extra cash, and dad would steal it to buy booze. Eventually, his superior came into the house. I overheard them arguing from my room, and I heard that if dad didn't pull himself together, he'd be fired. After that, I decided to intervene. It took a few months, and our talks would often devolved into brawls, but I was eventually able to get him to visit mom's grave. For the remaining year and the next, dad, Nanako and I were a family again. Everyone was talking about how brave, and strong I was for bring my father back from the brink. I also kept my jobs, and I was able to build such a good reputation that people would often come visit just to talk with the great Yu Narukami, expert teacher, babysitter, and janitor. In fact, Shu Nakajima, the kid I was teaching, often bragged that I was his tutor."

Yu looked out the window, smiling.

"In fact, when _the _Rise Kujikawa came to town to take a break from show biz, she came to the hospital to hide from paparazzi, and I shoved her into a broom closet. That's how we met."

"Haha. A story to tell future children."

"Yea. The only real stain I had was the fact that I was the only friend of a guy called Yosuke Hanamura, the son of the manager of Junes, a convenience store that was running local, family owned stores out of business."

"Sounds like you had everything; a loving family, good friends, a beautiful woman, stable jobs." Akechi listed.

"I did…"

Yu's smile faded.

"But then… that night happened."

"It must have been devastating."

"More than you know my friend. All of a sudden, I had lost all the stuff you had listed. I was fired from all my jobs, the beautiful woman was terrified of me, and my friends didn't even try to defend me. Nanako was too young to understand what was happening, and dad had to put up with the shame of being the father of a criminal. So much happened so fast that…"

Yu put down what remained of his food.

"That I started to tie a noose in my room. Dad happened to walk in just as I started to hang, and managed to stop me, and told me that he had managed to get Shujin to accept me. That there was hope. The rest, is history."

Akechi simply stared at his almost finished pancakes, as both of them lost their appetites.

"In other, more recent news; do you have to work tomorrow?" Yu asked, changing the subject.

"No. You?"

"Nope. And Shiho doesn't have volleyball practice."

"Truly? Then that means we can infiltrate the Palace tomorrow."

"That's what I was thinking."

"Perfect. In that case, let's eat and head back. Sae-san did say she wanted you back before lunch break was over."

Yu smiled. Thanks to Akechi opening up to him, and vice versa, he felt their bond had grown deeper.

* * *

Hifumi was currently in the middle of a match. Her opponent was another shogi player. She made a rather questionable move, which left herself wide open. Hifumi took the opportunity, slamming the shogi piece down with a loud _CLACK _, and had to suppress her smirk.

"Check."

She expected maybe some applause, but was instead greeted with a few murmurs of discontent from the audience. Hifumi bit her lip. The effects of her mother's work were starting to be felt more and more severely. Her opponent got up and bowed, but Hifumi could tell it was more the result of it being expected of her, rather than a show of sportsmanship. As everyone cleared out, Hifumi left too, picking up her things and making her way to the train station, when she suddenly heard a voice call out to her.

"Yo Hifumi. You were awesome out there. Another piece for the Togo Kingdom eh?" Ryuji asked as he ran to catch up to her.

"Yea. Another piece for the Togo Kingdom."

"Hey, what's wrong? You just won a match! You should be over the moon!"

"Yea…"

"Hifumi, what's wrong?" Ryuji asked, his previous enthusiasm no longer existent.

"It's just… you heard the crowd out there. They weren't happy about the fact that I won." Hifumi explained.

"Well eff them. They're just random nobodies. _I'm _happy you won." Ryuji said, placing his hand on Hifumi's shoulder, a gesture that made her smile.

"Thanks Ryuji. That means a lot."

The moment was killed once again when Hifumi's phone went off, and when the girl checked to see who it was from, her smile vanished.

Mom: if you're done with that game, head over to the studio. Some new dresses arrived, and I need you to model with them.

Hifumi's heart sank. More damage to her already badly hurt reputation. More fame for something that wasn't her passion. And more reason she should give up on her dream entirely. Ryuji moved a hand to her face, and it wasn't until he wiped away a tear that she realized she was crying.

"Hifumi. Tell me what's wrong."

"It's nothing."

"Bullshit."

"I need to get home."

"Let me come with you."

"You can't."

Ryuji grabbed her arm.

"Let go Ryuji."

"Hifumi, if there's some asshole out there hurtin' ya, let me know so I can kick his ass."

"You can't help with this Ryuji." Hifumi said as she started to struggle.

"Why not? I can't stand seeing ya hurt like this Hifumi."

"I don't want to burden you with this."

"Then what the hell are friends for?!"

"Playing a few matches, watching me play, and checking up on me in a church doesn't make us friends. Now let go!"

"You're right. Being there when it counts is what makes people friends, and that's what I'm doing now!"

"You won't understand!"

"Maybe that's because ya won't tell me!"

Hifumi stopped struggling, and sighed in defeat.

"Fine. Let's find somewhere quiet to talk."

In the park, Hifumi finished explaining her predicament. She told Ryuji everything. How her mother forced her to model for agencies in order to raise money and get fame. How her modeling was effectively destroying her ability to pursue her dream. How getting famous attracted several people that only cared about her for her body, and the harassment was enough to force her out of her school for after hours.

"Damn. Sounds to me like your mom is ruining your life for her own damn reasons."

"That's not true. Mother had a difficult life, and she wants to make sure I don't go through the same hardships she does. She loves me. I know she does."

"Then how come she's making your life hell?"

"Well what do you know Ryuji? What hardships have you gone through in life?"

"Plenty."

"Like what?"

Ryuji looked down at his feet, and let out a long, collected sigh.

"My dad… used to be in the yakuza."

Hifumi's eyes widened, but before she could do anything, Ryuji also added.

"Used to be. When he was dating my mom, he kept on standing her up on dates, running off on dinners, and so on, because the yakuza called on him to work. Finally, she had enough, and gave him an ultimatum; her, or the clan. He chose her. But… the past has ways of biting ya in the ass. My dad's clan brother, Munehisa Iwai, kept trying to drag him back to that old life, but under the pretense of looking out for his 'brother'. Long story short, Iwai kept on trying to throw dad back into his old life, but it was for his own self interest rather than actually caring about dad, and my old man would've fallen for it if not for mom. Eventually, mom threatened to turn Iwai over to the cops if he didn't stop harassing us. So yea, I do know what it's like."

"Your story is different. This Iwai was only interested in your father, not you, and he did not care for you like mother did for me. No matter what she does, she does with me and my father in mind. Iwai didn't have a presence in your life like mother does in mine."

"Well… shit. That's a really good point. But your old lady, she ain't gonna stop, unless someone makes her. That's all I'm trying to say."

"I know you're trying to help, but it's not needed. But thank you for trusting me with what you told me today, I-"

Before Hifumi could continue, she was interrupted by the sound of a car approaching. Looking at the source, they saw it was a limo approaching. Once it stopped, a woman in a business suit stepped out and placed both hands on her hips as she glared at the two.

"Hifumi, who is this ruffian?" The woman asked in a harsh tone.

"Mother, this is Ryuji Sakamoto. Ryuji, this is my mother."

"Sakamoto. I've never heard of you. Hifumi, what are you doing hanging out with this nobody?"

"Ryuji has been helping me practice for my matches."

"Haven't I told you to abandon that ridiculous game? You're entering a new stage in your life, and you'll need to abandon the childish past times in order to excel in life."

Ryuji shot her a look. Hifumi decided to prove him wrong once and for all.

"Mother, shogi is more than just a childish past time for me. I've worked my whole life to be like father, to be a master. As much as I appreciate your efforts to look out for me, they are in direct contradiction with my goals."

"Sweetheart, your goals won't sustain you. Your goals aren't practical. Being a champion of shogi is like working for Big Bang Burger; easily replaceable. And that simply won't due for any daughter of mine."

"But mother-"

"Enough! We're late enough as is. Now get in the car, Hifumi. As for you, peasant, I don't want to see you so much as look in my daughter's general direction again, or I'll make sure you and your family live on the streets, am I clear?" She threatened.

Ryuji almost snarled at Mitsuyo, but managed to settle for a blank stare before Mitsuyo asked again.

"Am. I. Clear?"

"Yea."

"Splendid." Mitsuyo smiled with sadistic glee before turning back. Ryuji saw Hifumi give him an apologetic look as the car drove away. That was all the proof Ryuji needed. He pulled out his phone and went to a site made so that people could voice their problems in the hope that they'd get fixed. And this was a big problem. The site hadn't seen much activity for some time, the latest post was over a week ago. Most people only asked for petty things, and didn't even provide a name. Ryuji decided to not repeat their mistake as he began typing.

"Dear Phantom Team. A friend of mine is having her life ruled by her controlling bitch of a mom, and it's really taking its toll on her. Please take the heart of Mitsuyo Togo." -SharkBoi9001.


	38. Trials of the Team

Music: **Hifumi's Palace Theme**

The next day of school had come and gone, and when it ended, the Team found itself back inside Mitsuyo's Palace, and teleported immediately into the Safe Room in the tower. After stepping out, Kaito waved and greeted them, which they returned. Yu turned to his teammates.

"Alright. So, to review, we need to beat Kaito Togo in a match of shogi in order to reach the Treasure. But before we can do that, we need to find the pieces of the board, which are scattered throughout the complex." Yu started.

"It would appear so. Before we start our infiltration, we'll have to find a map." Akechi stated.

"Right. Let's have a look around."

The search didn't take long. Shiho found a table along a wall that held several scrolls. After unrolling one after another, she eventually found a map, and all of their phones beeped, signaling that the information was absorbed.

"Alright, let's see what we got." Yu said as he pulled out his mobile device and looked.

"Ok, so we have three buildings to go through; the armory, the barracks, and the… princess chambers."

"That must be where we'll find cognitive Hifumi." Morgana said.

"Alright. Kaito said that some of the pieces will be won by brains rather than brawn, so we'll start with the barracks." Yu said.

"We'll follow your lead Seeker." Akechi said.

The group moved out, following their map to the barracks. It was a building carved into the mountainside, and once inside, they found that it descended into several wide floors, and at the bottom floor was where a lone figure dressed in ornate samurai armor colored in red stood on a stone circle in the shape of an arena. However, he was too far down, if the four tried to jump to his position, they'd die from the fall. There were three floors total, not counting the bottom one. First floor had three Shadows, second had five, and third had seven. The team turned to each other to discuss strategy.

"I say we rush them. Gather them all up in one spot, then blow them away." Shiho suggested.

"Bad idea. For one, we don't know what kind of Shadows they are. Two, they can call in reinforcements, so we could get flooded." Akechi pointed out.

"Plus, this is a test. That means it's going to get more and more difficult as we go. It would be wise to take battles in bite-sized chunks, heal, then continue." Yu said, getting up and approaching the Shadows, all of which were dressed in plain samurai armor,

"Have you come to take the Trail of Warriors?"

"We have."

"Then you know the conditions of this trail; Victory. Or death."

The Shadows melted into a black tar substance, then merged together, the substance coming together and then morphing into a towering giant that had several claws, two horns, and appeared to be made almost entirely out of paper.

"Show your power to the soldiers of the Shogun!" It roared.

Yu pulled out his newest Persona; a small lion with green skin.

"Shiisaa! Frei!" Yu ordered, a small green orb exploding right on top of the creature's chest. The other Team members joined the fray, Shiho using her flail to knock one of the legs at the knee join, forcing their opponent to one knee. Akechi summoned Robin Hood and reduced the monster's defense, while Lady Trieu unleashed a burst of wind, forcing it back. Now, it was the Shadow's turn. Raising its hands, sudden columns of fire erupted underneath each of the Team.

"Hua Po!" Yu said, switching Personas just in time to reduce the damage. Akechi didn't have that luxury if his screams were anything to go by, Shiho didn't take much damage on account of her Persona, but Morgana was caught with her pants down; the blast had knocked her on her feet. Using this momentum, the creature punched Yu straight into the floor. Shiho summoned Boudica, and used her healing abilities to patch up the Team, allowing Morgana to get back up. As the monster turned its attention to the other two teenagers Yu summoned another different Persona; and angel in crimson red armor and silver lance.

"Power! Slash!" Yu ordered, and the angel slashed the Shadow's arm, cutting it clean off. As it recoiled in pain, Robin Hood let loose an arrow that forced it onto the ground.

"This is our chance! All-Out Attack!" Yu ordered, he and the others performing the finisher move with grace and style.

The dust had settled, and Yu looked at his friends. A few scrapes and bruises, nothing too serious. They each gave him a thumbs up as if to affirm his assumptions. With that out of the way, they looked to the next floor, which held five guards this time. Walking down the stairs, the guards raised their swords.

"Victory or death. Show your power to the soldiers of the shogun!"

The five guards exploded into black tar again, which also merged into one giant puddle that merged into one single puddle that transformed itself into a humongous, fat, yellow tiger for a body with a monkey for a head It opened its mouth and unleashed a volley of spiked ice balls straight at Yu.

"Jack Frost!" Yu ordered, the adorable doll-like creature appearing right in the nick of time, absorbing the otherwise deathly hail like it was breakfast.

The beast changed strategies, pounding its fist into the floor, the tremors knocking both Shiho and Akechi to the ground. Morgana, however was able to dodge the attack by jumping, and Yu was far enough it didn't affect him severely. Morgana pulled out her scimitar and slashed the beast across the chest, then rolled backwards, got on one knee, turned around with slingshot in hand, and shot it straight in the eye. Yu pulled out his pistol as the creature recoiled, and fired it in the other eye. Akechi, still on the ground, summoned Robin Hood, but the Shadow, despite being effectively blind, used its tail to swat away the Persona. Akechi pulled out his laser sword and with a single strike, chopped the tail off. Shiho called upon her inner self, and Boudicca unleashed several flames, knocking him down. The Team didn't even need the order this time, performing the All-Out Attack automatically.

"Is everyone alright?"

"Yea. We're fine Seeker." Akechi answered.

"Give me a few. Ok. Ready." Shiho answered after taking some deep breaths.

"I'm good to go." Morgana finished.

"Alright. Then let's get to it."

Yu waved at them to follow, and once again, they travelled down the stairs to the final floor, now with seven guards. The Team put themselves on guard, ready for whatever monster they transformed into this time.

"Victory or death. Show your strength to the soldiers of the shogun!"

Just like the ones before, the Shadows all exploded and melted into the black sludge, merging into a turtle with a dragon for a tail.

"Everyone split up!" Yu ordered as both of the heads prepared to attack.

The team ran in different directions, and the dragon tail launched a fire stream at Yu, while the turtle released an explosion of cursed energy, hurting Shiho. Morgana fired slingshot balls to get its attention, and Akechi assaulted it using holy magic. Both of which backfired horribly. All of Morgana's hits were reflected back at her, and the Shadow managed to actually absorb the holy power of Robin Hood. Yu summoned Izanagi, and the thunder god brought down the wrath of the heavens, but to little effect.

"How is this thing so tough?!" Shiho yelled, dodging a blast of ice.

"It's made of seven Shadows put together. It's not that difficult to believe it obtained all of their strengths and powers, which cover its weaknesses." Akechi explained as he dodged several bite attempts from the tail.

"Then we'll have to find something it doesn't resist. It repels guns, absorbs holy, and resists lightning. Everyone hit it with what you can!" Yu ordered, switching Personas.

Shiho and Morgana got back and summoned their Personas, unleashing both wind and fire attacks, which did minor damage. Yu pulled out Succubus, but curse damage was also minor. The turtle threw its tail, and the snake finally succeeded on chomping down on Akechi, and then slammed him into Morgana. Shiho tried to smash its head with her flail, but it simply retreated back into its shell, then counterattacked with its own tail, slamming her into a wall.

_That tail has to go._

Yu summoned Izanagi, and the god flew towards the Shadow at breakneck speed. The tail opened its maw and attempted to counterattack, but Yu's plan was already in motion. The Wild Card ran towards the monster, which saw the boy approach, and the tail switched targets as a result. With the tail distracted, the Persona dived and cut the dragon clean off, leaving the turtle borderline defenseless. The Shadow unleashed a barrage of fire, but Yu switched to Hua Po, which blocked it, and the Trickster leapt into the air, plunging his sword down into the Shadow's head, killing it. Yu looked to asses the damage. Most of the Team had endured serious injuries, if how slow they were getting back up were any indication.

"You guys ok?" Yu asked as he helped Shiho up, while Morgana did the same for Akechi.

"Not really. That thing packed a nasy punch." Shiho groaned.

"I can patch us up, but it's gonna take a lot, so I'm not sure how useful I'll be later down the line." Morgana stated.

"What about Shoichi's meds?" Akechi asked as blood oozed from his bite marks.

"No need. Here, everyone take one." Yu said, reaching into his pockets and pulling out three rocks.

"Life Stones? Not sure how effective they'll be, but it's better than nothing." Morgana said as she, Akechi, and Shiho each took one.

"How do we use these?" Shiho asked.

"Just crush them." Morgana answered, crushing the rock like it was candy, resulting in a green energy washing over her. Akechi and Shiho repeated the action, with the same results. Shiho let out a breath of relief.

"Oh, that felt _goooood_."

"Come on. We've still got that figure to worry about." Yu said, waving his hand as he opened a door to the stone circle that the red samurai was on. As they approached, the figure turned around, revealing a feminine face.

"I am Suki. And you, have done well."

"Um… thank you?"

"But one last part of the trail remains; me. Select your champion, and the two of us will do battle in one-on-one combat." Suki declared.

"Alright then. I'll be the champion." Yu stated.

"Seeker, you're our strongest member and leader. Are you sure it's wise to fight one on one with her?" Shiho asked, worry in her voice.

"You're right Pariah, I am the strongest member. I was also in kendo club back home, so I'm the only one with any experience in swordplay. Plus, I have a good few Personas if things get bad. Don't worry, I'll be fine." Yu assured as he stepped into the circle, water splashing against the rock. Once he did, Suki pushed something on the ground, and a giant white energy wall surrounded the stone circle. Akechi hit it a few times to confirm his suspicions; the wall was meant to keep them out, and Yu in.

"Are you ready?" Suki asked, earning a nod from Yu.

"Good."

Suki pulled out her sword, as did Yu, but before the Wild Card could move, she raised it to the sky, summoning the three Shadows the Team had fought before; the white paper giant, the yellow tiger with the monkey head, and the turtle with the dragon tail. The other Tricksters began pounding away at the wall almost immediately, while Suki smirked sadistically.

"You cheater!" Morgana yelled.

"VICTORY OR DEATH! Show your strength to the soldiers of the Shogun!" Suki cried as she and the others charged.

Yu simply rolled his eyes and pulled out his gun, landing a headshot on Suki, resulting in her now lifeless body falling face-first to the ground. The other Shadows continued, undeterred. Yu summoned Izanagi and sent the god straight for the turtle, while he focused on dodging the attacks of the others. The god of Japan, now more prepared for the tail, simply waited to be attacked, dodged once the blow came, then cut off the tail. With the turtle's main method of offence down, Izanagi plunged his blade into the turtle's head, causing the Shadow to change to ash. With two opponents defeated, Yu ordered Izanagi to call down the thunder. The god spun his weapon around, and several lightning bolts came crashing down on the remaining two Shadows. The tiger Shadow was especially caught off guard, as it seemed to be locked in place with electricity sweeping through its fur. Yu could now focus on the paper giant, which had been throwing fire at him, and getting closer at hitting him. Izanagi flew over, electrifying his blade and chopping the Shadow's head clean off, turning the monster to ash. Now, only the tiger Shadow remained, and it was still suffering from the electricity. Yu moved and attacked with his blade three times before rolling back and shooting it in the head. It let out a cry of agony before also turning to ash.

With all of his opponents dead, the white wall disappeared, and his allies ran to his side, Shiho in particular was happy to see him alright, judging by how tight her hug was.

"Oh my God, I was so scared! But you sure showed them who's boss!"

"And to think, when we started out, you didn't believe you were cut out for this job." Morgana reminded with a smirk.

"That was nothing short of amazing Seeker!" Akechi praised.

All the compliments caused Yu to look at the ground and blush furiously. When he did, he noticed a few Shogi pieces lying on the stone. He picked them up and counted. It was about three, but since Yu didn't play any Shogi, he had no idea what they were. When he touched them, they glowed, then vanished. Shortly after, they heard Kaito chuckle.

"Well done. You have obtained three of the Shogi pieces. Continue your quests, infiltrators. I hope you prove worthy opponents.

"How's everyone doing? Can we keep moving?" Yu asked.

"Still good!"

"I can keep going."

"Ready when you are."

Yu nodded, and the Team made their way back up from the barracks and into the courtyard, with the armory as their destination, and knowing full well they'd be tested there too.


	39. Japanese Indiana Jones

Next up was the armory. It was a one story building, but it was also carved into a mountain. Entering, they found themselves in a rather small room, and were soon greeted by another woman dressed in Samurai armor.

"Greetings. I am Emiko. Have you come to take the Trail of Sages?"

"We have."

"Very well."

Emiko threw down a smoke bomb and vanished as the door behind her opened, revealing a flight of stairs. As the team walked down, they heard Emiko speak.

"There will be three obstacles standing in your way as you attempt to make your way to me, which I will explain as we reach them. The first will be a maze. In this maze, there is a door that is the exit, but it is locked. Somewhere in the maze is the key, and it will be on you to find it. But you and your friends won't be alone down there. Prowling the maze are the Shogun's troopers, and it's their job to hunt you down and skewer your heart on a pike. Are there any questions?"

The four reached the bottom of the stairs, where a paper door was opening up.

"No? In that case, you may begin!"

The four entered the maze, and Yu pulled out his phone, hoping that he would be able to cheat his way through. But he had no such luck, as his phone returned only blackness with a purple circle and four arrows; one red, one yellow, one blue, and one pink. The maze itself had steel walls, and decorating those walls were a wide variety of weapons; swords, axes, bows, everything from feudal Japan. Yu and the others began to navigate the labyrinth before them.

"We can't afford to wander aimlessly. That's just asking to get lost." Morgana pointed out.

"Maybe we could mark down spots we've been at? Like make an arrow pointing to where we went, and if it leads to a dead end, we could mark an "X" on it." Shiho suggested.

"That's a great idea Pariah."

"Someone's coming. Everyone get ready." Yu ordered as he crouched behind a wall, ready to ambush the incoming Shadow dressed in Samurai armor. Once it was close enough, Yu jumped on.

"I'll witness your true form!" Yu declared as he tore off the mask.

* * *

Another Shadow battle had passed. This was about the sixth in the maze, and the toll of these skirmishes was starting to become more and more severe. Case in point; Shiho was panting with both hands on her knees, Akechi's prince-like outfit was completely soaked with sweat, and Morgana was sitting with her back against the wall. Even Yu was becoming exhausted by the whole ordeal. They had been trying to navigate the maze for hours now, using Shiho's idea in order to mark their progress, but every time they got in a battle, they would hear the sound of gears turning, and when they went back, they saw some of their arrows out of place or outright gone. The only good thing that's happened so far was that they found some chests and got some goodies as a result.

"Seeker, we've been at this for hours. We can't keep this up." Morgana said.

"Carmen's right. This is getting us nowhere." Akechi added.

"Yea I know Ace. But I can't think of how we can…" Yu started, only to be cut off by the gears turning again. But this time, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Turning his full attention to the sound, he finally saw what was the source of the noise; a wall was shifting and altering itself.

_ The walls move whenever we're distracted by fighting, of course! _

Yu sprinted towards the wall. Right now, the moving parts had made it so that the wall was smaller than the ones around it. Using Izanagi to boost his jump, Yu was able to land on top of the wall. By the time the other Tricksters had reached him, the wall returned to its original height, and Izanagi ferried them up one by one to Yu.

"Good thinking. We should be able to find the key easily from up here." Akechi complimented as they started walking on the walls. From their new view, the maze was far more massive than they thought, with there was an absence of walls in the center, with instead four pillars.

"That's cheating!" Emiko yelled.

"So is moving the walls!" Shiho reminded.

"Look! Over there! I think that's the key!" Morgana yelled, pointing to a yellow gleam shooting upwards off in the corner. Jumping and leaping to different walls, they reached the glow easily, and it was guarded on all sides by four Shadows.

"We're in no condition for a drawn-out battle. We have to find a way to draw them away." Yu whispered, wiping some sweat off his brow.

"How?" Morgana asked.

"I have an idea." Akechi said, summoning Robin Hood. The Persona took aim at a wall and let loose an arrow, reducing it to rubble rather quickly. The resulting commotion forced the four Shadows to leave their post and investigate. Morgana, taking advantage of Akechi's distraction, reached into her utility belt, pulled out a grapple gun, and used it to snatch the key.

"Perfect. Now, we need to get to the exit." Yu said with a smile.

"My money's on the center." Shiho stated.

With a nod, the Phantoms went back to the center of the maze. Waiting for them was a hatch with an ornate lock. Morgana inserted the key and turned. There were several noises as the gears in the room activated. The walls began to sink into the floor, revealing dozens upon dozens of Shadows, all of which bowed to the infiltrators as soon as they saw them. Next, the hatch swallowed the key and opened up, revealing a black pit, which was later filled by a rising platform. Once it reached them, the four stepped on, and the platform began to descend, the hatch closing as soon as they were far down enough. Once all the sunlight was gone, orange crystals began to glow, bathing the four in a dim light that looked downright romantic.

"Wow. This is pretty." Shiho pointed out.

"Not as pretty as you." Yu muttered.

"What'd you say Seeker?" Akechi asked.

"I said I hope there's a Safe Room soon."

"Me too. That maze really did a number on us." Morgana said.

"Look on the bright side. If that maze was the worst this trial could throw at us, then the others should be easier." Akechi said with a smile.

"And if the maze was the easiest?" Shiho asked.

"Then we get past them the same way we got past the maze; using our heads." Yu answered.

Suddenly, the platform came to a stop, and a door opened, illuminated by more of the same crystals. As the Team walked down, they saw a pair of doors that shimmered. Entering the Safe Room, the whole group just collapsed on the furniture.

"Never before has something fake felt so good." Shiho said as she rested on a couch.

"I knooooooow." Morgana added.

"The Safe Rooms always looked like the perfect spot to relax, but only now am I taking advantage of the fact. What a mistake I've been making." Akechi sighed out.

"Hey Seeker, why don't you sit down?" Shiho asked, patting the spot next to her on the couch. Yu smiled, silently accepting her invitation as he sat down next to her. Pulling out her pink hairband, Shiho gave a soft murmur of bliss as her raven-colored locks cascaded down her shoulders.

"You know, in spite of everything we've been through in the Metaverse, I can't wait for summer so we can work on Palaces all the time." Shiho pointed out.

"I'm surprised you're enjoying this so much Pariah. You always seemed very timid." Akechi added.

"It's because I'm very timid that I enjoy this so much. All my life, I've been told to make myself small, to accept the world for how it is, and all that other stuff. For my whole life, I've been abused, whether by my peers or by my parents, and all I've done is try to be nice."

"And being nice has its perks. None of us would've meet you if you weren't nice. And I'm certainly glad that's the case." Yu pointed out, causing Shiho to smile sweetly and blush, though no one could tell because of the poor lighting.

"Thanks Seeker. Though, I guess what I'm trying to say is that it just feels good to hit back. The blood on my face, the sound of bones crunching, the broken bodies turning to ash. It's all so therapeutic." Shiho said with obvious glee.

"Should we be worried about how much fun you have about beating up Shadows?" Akechi asked.

"Don't worry Ace. Better Shadows than actual people. I would never hurt anyone in the real world. Especially none of you."

"I believe you Pariah. But back to the matter at hand. I know that maze took a lot out of us, so I have to know if you guys can keep going."

"You're the boss Seeker. Whatever you decide, we'll follow."

"What Carmen said."

"Agreed Pariah."

"Alright. In that case, let's rest for about five minutes, then continue." Yu stated, earning a sigh of relief from the others.

* * *

After 15 minutes had passed in the Safe Room, Yu finally managed to drag his team out. Walking down the hall, they soon entered a room with several doors on the side, while directly in front of them were three chairs, and one of them had a Shadow dressed in peasant's clothes strapped in.

"Welcome infiltrators, to the second obstacle! The peasant sitting in the chair is the only one who knows which door leads to me. Now, all you have to do is find him. Once you're ready to begin, three cups will descend on all the chairs, then begin to move. Your job is to keep your eyes on the cup that has the man. Succeed, and you'll be able to open the way to me. Fail, and he dies. Any questions?"

"Will you cheat again?" Akechi asked.

"Depends. Will you?" Emiko replied.

Shiho opened her mouth, but Yu raised his hand to stop her. Arguing with Emiko would get them nowhere.

"No. We're ready." Yu said.

"Excellent."

The three cups covered up the chairs, and began to move, shifting around and taking the chairs with them. For a few minutes, they kept moving, and Yu could tell that Shiho and Morgana had given up on trying to keep track of the man, while Akechi kept his gaze razor sharp with focus. Finally, the cups stopped.

"Alright, the time has come! Choose! Which cup is your only hope hiding behind?"

"That-"

"Wait a moment Ace." Yu interrupted in a gentle whisper.

"What is it?" Akechi replied with an equally gentle whisper.

"Emiko has cheated before. I don't see why she wouldn't cheat again."

"Good point. But I don't see how to cheat ourselves."

"Watch." He whispered.

Stepping forward, Yu activated his Third Eye and smiled. He was right. If Emiko had played by the rules, the man should have ended up on the right side of the room, but Yu's Third Eye was telling him that the man was in the middle. He pointed dead center.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

The cup was raised, revealing the man. The three cheered, and Emiko sputtered.

"W-what?! HOW?! I made sure it was rigg-I-I mean, congratulations on the victory! Now, all that remains is the final obstacle." Emiko said, though the venom in her words were palatable. The man, now released from his chair, got straight to work, going to the various doors and doing something to them, whether it be turning knobs, locking them a certain way, or just pushing a certain part. By the time he was done, the room rumbled, and the wall behind the chairs collapsed, revealing a tunnel. As they started walking through it, Akechi spoke up.

"How did you know where he was Seeker?"

"I used my Third Eye." Yu answered nonchalantly.

"Third… Eye?" Morgana questioned.

"Its a power I can use when Izanagi and I… merge, for lack of a better word."

"What do you mean?" Shiho asked.

"Well, in the real world, I can kinda summon Izanagi. He can't alter the world, not like here, but he does affect how the world affects me. I can use him to listen in and spy on people through walls, far away, so forth. But in the real world, he can give me some of his power and let me see the Metaverse differently. Specifically, if there's something that might be useful for me to have, he can highlight it for me with the Third Eye ability."

"And you didn't tell us this before because…" Akechi asked.

"Actually, he kinda did. For me, at least." Shiho started.

"What?" Morgana asked.

"Back when we went on the trip to Mitsuyo's news studio, he wanted me to be the one to infiltrate Mitsuyo's office, but since we didn't have a blueprint or map of any kind, I didn't know where to go. Seeker told me to send out Boudicca, but I couldn't do it, so he had to go. Though, he neglected to tell me anything about this Third Eye ability." She grumbled.

"After that, I figured that it must be unique to me, since I'm a Wild Card." Yu explained.

"You'll have to tell us how it's done once we get out." Akechi said.

"Hey look, we're here." Morgana pointed out.

Climbing up through the tunnel, they saw Shogi pieces placed on a pedestal.

"This is too easy." Akechi said.

"This is some kind of trap." Shiho added.

"She's planning something." Morgana finished.

"Yea. All of you, head back. I think I know what she's planning." Yu said.

"Are you sure?" Shiho asked.

"Trust me. I know where this is going." Yu said as he approached the Shogi pieces.

The Team, albeit reluctantly, complied, leaving Yu to do whatever he was planning. He approached the pieces, scooped them up, shoved them in his pocket, and ran. Behind him a loud crunch was heard. The Trickster dared to look back, and what he saw confirmed his suspicions.

There was a giant boulder heading straight for him

Music: Indiana Jones theme

Yu wasted no time running for dear life, though despite the circumstances, he was having fun. The boulder was starting to gain on him, and up ahead, he heard sounds of a brawl and his fun suddenly evaporated. If Shadows had managed to get the jump on his friends, they might not be able to escape. Running back to the cup room, he saw that it wasn't Shadows, but Emiko that was fighting them. He pulled out his pistol and shot her in the leg, screaming at his fellow Tricksters.

"RUN! THERE'S A BOULDER COMING!"

The others, seeing what was headed their way, sprinted as fast as their legs could carry them. Yu ran to Emiko, who tried to grab him or stop him in some other way, but Izanagi emerged, punching her right in the face. Yu ran right past her, and she didn't even have a chance to scream before the boulder squashed her. Shiho held the Safe Room's door open, ready and waiting for her leader. Yu didn't dare turn around, because he knew the boulder was meer inches away from him. Shiho reached out as soon as she could, and grabbed him, heaving with all her considerable strength. As he was pulled to safety, Yu found himself face-first in Shiho's bust. The boy and girl blushed madly as the Wild Card scrambled to get off. Outside, they heard the boulder come and gone, failing to achieve its mission

"Seeker! Are you alright?" Morgana asked

"I'm fine. What about you guys?" Yu asked as he and Shiho got up.

"We're fine. That boulder gave us quite the scare." Akechi said with a faint smile.

"Good. I got the pieces." Yu said, reaching into his pockets and pulling out the tiny slabs.

"Excellent. Now all that's left is the princess' chambers." Akechi said.

"Actually, I just realized something; a lot of time has passed both in here and in the waking world. We should head back soon." Morgana reminded.

"Carmen has a point. We should go back soon." Shiho agreed.

"Fine. But first, I want to at least scope out the chambers. That way, we'll at least be prepared for whatever comes next." Yu argued.

"Alright."

With that, the Team teleported out of the armory, and back to the tower. As they made their way back outside, Kaito noticed them and gave them a small wave and a greeting. They went across the courtyard and to the entrance of the castle itself. But there was a problem. The whole palace was shielded by a yellow shield. On the front door, there was some writing.

"To whoever ye may be, know that only our glorious Shogun is allowed past this holy barrier, and that this barrier in invincible to all forms of harm and covers all forms of entry. Any who try to enter the Shogun's daughter's private sanctuary will be put to the sword."

It took awhile for the four to process this new information.

"Shit." They all cursed simultaneously.

"Does this mean only Shadow Mitsuyo can get us in here?" Akechi asked.

"If that's the case, this infiltration got a lot more tricky." Yu pointed out.

"Actually no. You guys remember when I told you about how the Metaverse is affected by cognition?" Morgana asked.

"Kinda." Shiho answered.

"Well, the only reason this force field says its invincible is only true because the waking world Mitsuyo thinks so."

"What's that mean?" Akechi asked.

"It means that she only _thinks _that only she's allowed in… whatever the waking world's equivalent of this building is."

"The Shogun's daughter... Hifumi's room. What are you getting at Carmen?" Yu questioned.

"I think what she's saying is that, if we show her that anyone can get in Hifumi's room, then her cognition of it will change, which will let us get in." Shiho answered.

"Exactly! Thank you Pariah."

"Alright. During school tomorrow, we'll discuss who gets to do it. For now, however, let's go back." Yu suggested, and the others nodded in agreement, quickly returning to the waking world for whatever tomorrow held in store for them.


	40. Real Life Infiltration

Hifumi took deep breaths as she stood outside her mother's room. She had hoped, she had prayed, that this would stop, that her mother would see just how much she didn't want this. But it only got worse. The pictures got more risque, the clothing more revealing, and the money and fame got bigger. They even had a name for her now; the Venus of Shogi.

Ryuji was right; mother wasn't going to stop unless someone made her, and that someone was going to be Hifumi. Or at least, that's what she hoped. She took one final deep breath before knocking on her mother's door. It took a few minutes, but Mitsuyo managed to answer.

"Hifumi? What is it, I'm busy."

"Mother, I would like to discuss me being a model."

Mitsuyo let out an annoyed sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I should've known that this would happen sooner or later. Alright fine-"

Hifumi let herself smile.

"You can have a slice of the profits. Does ten percent sound good to you?"

Hifumi's smile faded.

"N-no mother, it's not that…" The shogi player said, her voice starting to fade.

"Then what is it? Speak up child." Mitsuyo demanded.

"I want to stop being a model."

Mitsuyo let out a mocking laugh.

"A-and why is that child?"

"Because it's getting out of hand. I could deal with some commercials that were small on newspapers, but the skin-tight dresses plastered on the front pages of magazines, the bikinis on the covers of gossip papers, these are too much. Every day, the shogi community grows more and more disgusted with me. Every day, more and more people leer at me and harass me because of my body. Every day, my dream becomes more and more distant."

Mitsuyo glared at her daughter, and raised her eyebrow, before taking a deep breath.

"Child, I'm sorry for what you've had to endure things like that, but in this business, it comes with the territory. I myself know that people call me all kinds of nasty names behind my back every single day, and chances are that more than a few of them are trying their best to take me down, and it's just something I'll have to live with. But I'll tell you what. Since you're not used to it, I'll let you have modeling time off until we have Risette on, ok?"

"I don't want a break, mother. I want it to stop." Hifumi whimpered.

"And I want your father to be well again. The sad fact is, we don't always get what we want. We have to make sacrifices, and sadly, that includes you. If it seems like I'm torturing you, it's because I don't want you to suffer in the future, because, sad as it is, Shogi just isn't a profitable or famous profession. I'm only making you do this because I love you. You know that, right?"

"I… I do, mother."

"Good. Now, go back to your room, and go to bed."

Hifumi weakly nodded, and walked back to her room numbly. As soon as she was out of eyesight, Mitsuyo scowled.

"Ungrateful brat."

* * *

At Shujin Academy, Yu, Shiho, Morgana, and Akechi were all sitting on the roof.

"Alright, our goal is clear; we need to have Mitsuyo see that anyone can be in Hifumi's room, otherwise we won't be able to continue infiltration." Akechi reminded.

"We know. The problem is, who will do it?" Shiho asked.

"It can't be Yu. Not only is he already on probation, but we don't know if the effect will only be temporary. He _has _to be in the Palace to lead us." Morgana pointed out.

"But at the same time, his unique talents involving Izanagi would give him an enormous advantage in the real world." Akechi countered.

"Are we sure? I know I can't do it, but what about you two?" Shiho replied, gesturing to Akechi and Morgana.

"No. We both tried, but it would seem this is yet another talent reserved for the Wild Card." Morgana answered.

"Akechi is our link to the police. We can't risk him being under investigation. Shiho has the grace of a hippo, and Morgana doesn't know the ins and outs of this world. It has to be me." Yu argued.

"I'm sorry, did you just compare me to a hippo?"

"No it doesn't. Morgana is more than qualified to handle this." Akechi countered.

"Akechi's right. If you get caught, then you'll be hauled away, and we're back where we started way back when you wanted to quit. The fact is that you're infinitely more valuable than anyone else here, and I'm the only other one with lockpicking experience. I'm going in."

Yu opened his mouth to reply, but the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of break.

"Then it's decided; Morgana will infiltrate the Togo residence, then enter Hifumi's room when Mitsuyo could see it." Akechi finished.

"Relax Yu. It's not like I'm going to bring anyone to the Metaverse." Morgana reassured.

* * *

Hifumi found herself alone in church, tears streaming down her face. She tried. She tried to make her mother see how much she was hurting her. She tried to convince her mother to stop forcing her to do things she didn't want to. She tried, and that's all she did. She heard the church door open. Father Simon shouldn't be back yet, so chances were, it was one of her 'fans'. Hifumi shook her head, thinking about what her mother said about sacrifices. Sacrifice was when someone gave up something they valued for something else they wanted. What was Hifumi getting out of this? Fame? Money? Her fame is what drove her away from her friends in the shogi club, and she didn't earn a single yen from her shoots. The figure sat down.

"Look, whoever you are, if you're here because you're a fan, I'd greatly appreciate it if you left me alone."

"I take it things with your old lady ain't goin' so well." The man spoke, and Hifumi immediately recognized who it belonged to.

"RYUJI!" She squealed, wrapping the blonde-haired delinquent in a hug, which he returned. He gave her a toothy grin, which she couldn't help but giggle at. The two sat down, Hifumi's mood improving considerably.

"So, have my wild charms finally broken through? Has the peasant Ryuji Sakamoto finally earned the love and admiration of the mighty Togo queen?" Ryuji asked.

"Hehe. Almost. I'm glad to see you Ryuji."

"I'll bet. Ya looked like… A friend of mine a few weeks ago." Ryuji replied as he thought of Shiho, his tone a lot more serious.

"Yes. The situation with my mother has… escalated. And now, the only way I think I can get her to stop is by telling my father. But I'm not sure how his health will take to the news."

"Well… if ya want, you could run away."

"What?"

"For real! Ya could go to the countryside, change yer name to Hifumi Slow-Mo, start all over. Hell, I might come with ya!"

All Hifumi did was look at him with one eyebrow raised. It took a few minutes, but Ryuji eventually realized something.

"Ya know… on second thought… running away might not be the best idea."

"You think?"

"Hehe… yea. But in all seriousness, I did try something. It might be a long shot, but I posted your mom's name to have her heart stolen."

"Wait, WHAT?! Stolen?! L-l-l-like ripped out?! Like surgery? Like-"

"Woah woah, not literally!" Ryuji stated.

"Then what do you mean?" Hifumi asked, still nervous.

"Well, at my school, there was this grade-A asshole named Kobayakawa. For years, _the _Goro Akechi tried to take him down, but always failed. Then, one day, plastered all over the public announcement board were these cards, that basically called Kobayakawa out, and said they'd make him confess by 'taking his distorted desires.' And on the back of the cards were "Take your heart", and by the time afternoon rolled around, he confessed to the fuzz. Later, they put up a website that allowed people to post the names of scumbags whose hearts they wanted changed. One of them even said that it worked. So, I… put your mom's name on there."

"I appreciate the thought Ryuji. But, I'd rather put my faith in something more… concrete." Hifumi replied.

"Alright. But if your mom suddenly starts apologizing, you know who to thank."

Hifumi smiled, and scooched closer to Ryuji.

"Thank you Ryuji. For being here."

"Sure thing Hifumi. Sure thing."

Before either Hifumi or Ryuji could do anything else, a sudden beeping cut through the air, and Hifumi's bag was the source. Scouring through it, she found it was her cell phone. Her foul mood returned, and with a vengeance.

"Is it your old lady?"

"I have to go. Thanks for talking with me Ryuji." Hifumi said as she left, and Ryuji could do nothing but ball up his hands in frustration.

* * *

Morgana was hiding in a bush.

Why was she hiding in a bush you may ask? Well, it was because she was waiting for the moment to strike, the "moment" being when Mitsuyo would see Hifumi's room door open, and Morgana inside. The rest of the Team was already in the Metaverse, waiting for her mission to be completed, and once it was, they would rush in, secure a Safe Room, then get out, just in case the effect was temporary. Morgana had a pouch around her waist, holding all of the tools she needed. She tried to go in and pick the lock prior, but someone else was in the house, and she really didn't need to risk getting the cops here and scaring off the target. So for now, she hid in a bush.

A car began to pull in, and Morgana grinned as Mitsuyo stepped out, having just hung up on the phone. The guide waited a few minutes after her target entered her home, then emerged from the bush, careful not to be spotted as she climbed up the wall to a window she had opened earlier. Once inside, she crouched down and checked her corners. Mitsuyo was down below, talking with someone. Judging by how he called her 'my love', it was safe to assume it was her husband. Morgana found the room she had marked earlier, and whipped out her tools. She also made sure to adjust her weight, which resulted in the floorboards creaking, which would hopefully get Mitsuyo's attention. Morgana was roughly halfway done when she heard Mitsuyo's voice from below.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

Following that question, Morgana heard footsteps, and doubled her pace.

* * *

"Seeker, could you stop pacing around please? You're making me nervous." Shiho stated.

"I'm sorry. I'm still not 100% on board with this. Something could easily go wrong."

"Have faith in her abilities. She's not as naive as she once was." Akechi said.

"She still gets distracted by sushi." Yu retorted.

"That's… a good point. But still, I doubt she'll let us down. Besides, if she does get caught, I can work on her case and make sure there isn't enough evidence to put her away." Akechi replied.

Just as he finished speaking, the golden force field surrounding the castle went down.

"That's our cue. Let's go boys!" Shiho yelled, grabbing her flail.

The three immediately charged, entering a room where a lone Shadow in golden samurai armor was waiting.

"What the devil? How'd you get back our Shogun's magic? No matter. I will stop you here and now!"

The samurai exploded into tar, and reformed itself into a giant armored man, which also had his armor encased in gold, with his headgear was pointed upward and curved at the end like an axe. He pulled out his weapon, a giant double-bladed sword, and charged at them, using wind magic to amplify his speed before any of them had time to react. He body slammed straight into Akechi, knocking the Detective Prince back out of the castle. The Shadow swung his blade at Yu, but the Wild Card barely managed to dodge. But by focusing its attention on Yu, it left itself vulnerable to Shiho, who had already summoned Boudicca. Hurling fireballs at him, the Shadow recoiled from the assault, then turned around, twirling its sword around, and suddenly, all three infiltrators suddenly felt weaker, and more sluggish. The Shadow, now looking at Shiho, unleashed a torrent of green energy, knocking her back.

"Let's try this again." Akechi grumbled as he called upon his inner self.

Robin Hood materialized and unleashed a blast of holy magic, but the attack only seemed to scratch the armor's paint job. With Shiho knocked back, the Shadow turned its attention back to Yu, who had summoned Izanagi to protect him, but even the god was struggling against this opponent. Shiho pulled out her SMG and unloaded a full clip, which also did little. By now, the Shadow had punched Izanagi back, and unleashed a blast of pink orbs at Shiho, who didn't look like she was harmed. But she then turned to Yu, and her eyes turned into pink orbs. She charged at her leader, her weapon at the ready.

"Shiho, what the hell?!" Yu asked as he tried his best to dodge his friend's flail swings.

"She appears to be confused! Be careful Seeker!" Akechi yelled as the Samurai charged at the Trickster. Yu and Shiho's weapons locked, and Yu headbutted her, pushing her back. He grabbed his mask and called forth a Persona he knew could at least put her out of condition.

"Come, JACK FROST!"

The adorable Persona erupted, and quickly launched an ice barrage that Shiho wasn't ready for. She was knocked on her back, and Yu turned to the Shadow, summoning another Persona.

"ELIGOR!"

A red knight on top of a horse materialized and immediately charged at the Shadow, and for awhile, it appeared they were evenly matched, until Yu suddenly felt his strength return as the weakness spell faded. Eligor pushed, breaking the deadlock and stabbing the Shadow in the chest and forcing it to the floor. Yu charged forward and turned to his partner.

"Ace, let's finish this!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!"

The two jumped forward, performing an All-Out Attack on the defenseless foe. When they were finished, it turned to ash, and Shiho blinked, picking herself off the floor and looking around with a confused look on her face.

"Did we win?" She asked as Yu and Akechi collapsed to the floor.

"Yes." Akechi answered through labored breaths.

"That… was tough." Yu panted as he got up.

"I know. But Carmen could join us at any time, so we should find a Safe Room soon." Akechi said, forcing himself off the floor.

"Alright. Everyone split up, and holler if you find one." Yu said, turning towards the stairs.

"No need. Look straight ahead." Shiho said, pointing straight ahead.

* * *

Way back at the Togo residence, after Morgana had successfully gotten inside and picked the lock, she made sure the door was open just as Mitsuyo came up. Hiding behind a corner, she smiled when she heard Mitsuyo gasp and rush into the room. Her job was done, and it was time to leave. Jumping out the window, she landed in a bush and got up to leave, only to come face-to-face with another woman. This one was dressed in a dress with blue, orange, and white diamonds in a checkered pattern, and a red braid in her hair shaped like a four leaf clover. And she did not look happy.

"Who are you, and what were you doing in my house?" She demanded.

Morgana froze like a deer in headlights, unable to say anything. When the woman approached, Morgana did what any scared person would do; run.

"Get back here!" The woman yelled, chasing after the Velvet Room guide.

After running for a dozen minutes, Morgana looked behind her as she approached the news station. That woman with the red braid was _still _chasing after her. Morgana pulled out her phone, and shook her head. No, she couldn't risk entering the Metaverse with this woman watching. She needed to shake her pursuer and she needed to do it _now _.

She reached into her pouches and pulled out another one of her tools; a smoke bomb. While she wanted to keep them in reserve in case the Team needed to make a hasty retreat, this was an emergency. Throwing the smoke bomb behind her, Morgana then turned into an alley and hid behind a dumpster. She waited for a few moments, hearing the girl cough, then scream in frustration, then heard fast footsteps, as if she was running. Fortunately, they started to fade, and Morgana smiled as she stepped out of her hiding spot.

"Phew, that was a bit too close for my liking." She said to herself as she stepped out of the alleyway.

"Alright. Time to rejoin the others." She declared, pulling out her phone.

She pulled up the Meta-Nav, but what Morgana didn't know was that not only did Hifumi hear her, but the shogi player also happened to be walking in Morgana's direction when the Trickster stepped out, and immediately raced to the thief the moment she saw her. Morgana heard footsteps the moment her finger touched the button, and by then, Hifumi was in arm's reach as the world began to twist and swirl.


	41. The Art of War

Yu, Shiho, and Akechi left the Safe Room, and were now waiting for Morgana to join them. They were expecting her arrival in the form of her coming out of the new Safe Room, but instead, they heard screaming from outside. Then a _ CRASH. _

"Carmen?" Akechi asked as the three head out to the courtyard, only to see that Morgana was under someone. Someone they recognized.

"Hifumi?" Yu asked as the girls got up.

"What…" Hifumi started groggily.

Hifumi looked around, taking in her surroundings.

"Where… WHERE THE HELL AM I?!" She screamed, crawling backwards.

"Hifumi… calm down. We're not going to hurt you." Yu started.

"What did you do to me?! Let me out!" Hifumi yelled.

"Hifumi, calm down!" Yu yelled, taking off his mask.

"You remember me, don't you? Yu Narukami, Ryuji Sakamoto's friend?" Yu asked, putting up his hands in the most non-threateningly way possible.

"Narukami… I _think _I remember you. But I do know Ryuji." Hifumi answered, now starting to calm down.

"Alright. Everyone remove your masks." Yu ordered, and the others obeyed.

"Hold on… I know you people. You're the ones who came to my school!" Hifumi yelled, pointing an accusing finger at them.

"Yes we are. We are the Phantom Team." Yu explained.

"You're… the Phantom Team? Wait… then that would mean… this place… it wouldn't have anything to do with stealing my mother's heart, would it?" Hifumi asked, making the others take a step back in shock.

"How… how do you know about that?" Akechi asked.

"Ryuji said that he put my mother's name on a site that you four run. And if you saw the name, there was a chance that you'd take their heart. I didn't think it would actually happen. Did you all seriously think mother's abuse to me was that bad?" Hifumi explained.

"Actually, and this will probably come off as asshole-ish, but we aren't doing it just for you." Yu replied.

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm sorry to say this Hifumi-san, but your mother is a terrible person."

Hifumi scowled at the insult.

"Don't slander her! It's true that she might not listen to me in everything, but she's a good person! She raised me, cared for me, provided for me, all at her own expense!" Hifumi argued.

"I'm not surprised you don't believe it. Follow us. We'll show you the truth." Yu said, beckoning to Hifumi to follow them.

They walked from the courtyard and into the warehouse storing all of the paintings. Hifumi stared in awe at how many there were.

"Take a look. Every single one of these are people your mother has hurt." Shiho informed as Hifumi started looking through the scrolls. It took a few dozen minutes, and Hifumi even went to the very top of the building. With each tale she read, some more color left her face, with each painting, her expression became more and more mortified. When she was done, she came back down and shook her head at the others.

"This… this is a lie, or nightmare. This can't be real!" She screamed.

"This world is called the Metaverse, an alternate reality formed by human cognition. This place specifically is called a Palace, and it's a place where one can see someone as they truly are. What you're looking at Hifumi, is your mother's heart laid bare." Yu explained.

"No. No, no, no. This can't be real, this is all a lie!" Hifumi screamed again, this time on the verge of unleashing tears.

"There's one scroll you haven't read. This one." Shiho said, tossing the scroll next to the wedding picture at the shogi player. Hifumi took the scroll and read it. Roughly halfway through, she let go, and the paper fell to the floor.

"Aunt Ami…" Hifumi whispered.

"What?" Yu asked.

"I… knew Ami Ito. When I was in middle school, I met her and she said she'd like to be my friend, in order to 'make up for a terrible mistake' she did. She'd always sneak into the house to give me presents on my birthdays and Christmas. She would always be there to help me if I was struggling, whether it be with my studies, making friends, or anything else. I confided in her when I knew I couldn't do the same with my parents. She gave me my first shogi board and… when I told mother who I got it from, the next day… a police officer came and told us she was dead; hit by a drunk driver…"

Hifumi couldn't hold back any longer. She collapsed to her knees and began to sob. As her wails echoed throughout the whole Palace, Yu came close and wrapped his arms around her in a side hug. He knew all too well what she was going through. The denial that someone you knew so intimately was able to do something you never thought they could, then the full realization of reality, and finally the sorrow of that knowledge would threaten to break you. He knew. He had been there.

"At… at least… she still cares about me." Hifumi sniffled, desperate to find some kind of positive of this whole revelation.

"Ah, there you are." A feminine voice called, but the sound was distorted and twisted.

Hifumi and the others looked to the source, and saw standing at the entrance was a woman accompanied by four Shadows and dressed like a geisha, but the major difference was that instead of a tight bun, she wore her hair in a loose braid flung over her shoulder, with her kimono showing off ample cleavage. Yu, Akechi, Shiho, and Morgana all got on guard immediately once they noticed another distinct feature; her eyes were a sickly yellow.

"W-who are you?" Hifumi whimpered out.

"That's your mother's Shadow. Her true self that she keeps hidden from everyone else." Morgana answered.

"Correct peasant. You stand in the presence of Mitsuyo Togo, shogun of the fortress that you've been rampaging through. And apparently, that wasn't enough, if your kidnapping of my daughter is any indication." Shadow Mitsuyo growled.

"Hey, we didn't kidnap anybody! She followed us here!" Morgana replied.

"M-mother…" Hifumi said hoarsely as tears still flowed from her eyes.

"Yes child?"

"I've… read all these scrolls. They said that you did terrible things to innocent people. That you blackmailed, framed, murdered, extorted, and so much more, just to secure your control and power. That you constantly hurt people just to send a message and intimidate others. That you steal what doesn't belong to you simply because someone else has it. Tell me this isn't true! Tell me that this is all some twisted dream, and that this isn't what you're really like! Tell me that the woman who married father did so out of love, and not because she was jealous of the happiness her friend would get! Tell me…"

Hifumi swallowed hard. Her next words croaked from her lips.

"Tell me you didn't kill Ami Ito. Please." She begged.

Mitsuyo let out a cackling laugh. It was cruel, unhinged, and disturbing as she gripped her stomach from all the wheezing and outbursts of giggling. After a few minutes of laughing at her daughter's plea, she straightened her back and stared right at Hifumi.

"Oh child. Why on Earth should I? It's the simple truth; they had something I wanted, so I took it from them." She said with a mocking grin.

"But… but why?"

"Because they didn't deserve it, and I did. Plain and simple." Shadow Mitsuyo scowled, her once mocking smile giving way to a threatening scowl.

"What did Aunt Ami do to deserve death?!" Hifumi asked as fresh tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Oh, me and that bitch go way back. Or used to, I should say. It all began in high school, when we first met Kaito. Right from the start, I wanted him. He was from a wealthy family, had honor, was handsome, and stupid enough to be easily manipulated. But, he just _had _to fall in love with Ami. I tried so many times to break them up, but they were so determined to see it through to the end. Ami didn't deserve what Kaito could give her, but _I _did. _I _deserved the happiness, _I _deserved the potential for something greater. So, I waited until they were engaged, and made sure Ami got caught being screwed by some horny bastard, and Kaito broke off the wedding."

Mitsuyo smiled sadistically.

"In the end, I got what I wanted; a means to build an empire, and it certainly helped that all it took to pacify Kaito was one tussle in bed on our honeymoon. As for that bitch Ami, I made sure that she was spared. After all, without her, I doubt I could've gotten my means to an empire at all. After I obtained the resources I needed via Kaito, I was introduced to a whole new circle of society. I saw what they had; money, power, fame, success, recognition. And I wanted it all. None of them deserved any of it, but I certainly did. I had to claw my way to where I am, with blood, sweat, and tears."

"No you didn't!" Shiho yelled.

"What did you say, peasant?" Mitsuyo growled.

"You didn't sacrifice, you schemed! You stole what others had simply because you didn't have it!" Akechi barked back.

"SILENCE! Who are you to judge me, worm?! Look around you! This building is a monument to all that I have achieved! Someone of my accomplishments deserves happiness, recognition, and power. Especially when compared to thieves like you, who have nothing worth having."

"We have purpose." Morgana said.

"We have skill." Akechi added.

"We have spirit." Shiho included.

"We have each other." Yu finished.

"And those won't save you from me. Besides, what good are those things, if you don't pass them on." Mitsuyo countered as she stared at Hifumi.

"Me?" The girl asked, still recovering from everything she's borne witness to.

"Yes. Not going to lie, when I discovered I was pregnant with you, I strongly considered abortion, but then I realized; for all my talents, skills, and resources, I would eventually grow old and die. So I kept you around, as a way of making sure that I would have a successor. But then you told me that Ami befriended you, and had been seeing you for some time. When you told me that, I knew she was grooming you to be her vessel of revenge, so I had to end her before her plans bore fruit."

Hifumi could only look on in utter horror as she remained on her knees. Her irises shrank, her jaw dropped, and Yu could picture her mind snapping like a twig.

"Which is good. Now, if only you'd give up that stupid board game, I could finally finish molding you into what I deserve. Now, come here child." Mitsuyo ordered.

Yu and the others looked at the shogi player, completely broken by the unending onslaught of ugly truth. Her eyes had been ripped open to show the monster she had so vehemently defended. And now, that monster was asking her daughter to stand by her side and remain shackled to a path that would break her.

Hifumi stood up, looked her mother square in the eyes, and said

"**No**."

Mitsuyo pulled her head back, as if she was struck.

"Excuse me, what did you-"

"Shut up, _mother _." Hifumi ordered, the last word dripping with burning contempt.

"To think, before you arrived, I was defending you. To think, when everyone was telling me how evil you were, I told them, and myself, that you loved me and father. To think, there was a time when I would've obeyed you simply because I thought I owed you _anything _."

Hifumi took one step forward, and the ground cracked under its power.

"But no more! Now, I finally acknowledge that you see me the same way as you see everyone else; a stepping stone for your own selfish gain! You wanted to mold me into what you _deserve _? Well congratulations, you're going to have it; I will be a means to destroy your empire, and make all of your so-called 'sacrifices' worth nothing!"

Just then, there was a sudden _THUMP _that resonated in the air. The Phantom Team smiled, knowing what came next.

Music: Awakening+ Willpower

** "You have finally accepted what everyone has been telling you. That the one you've so loyally obeyed cares nothing for you, or your desires."** A spectral voice asked.

Hifumi let out a scream as she grabbed her head. Her eyes glowed an unhealthy yellow as the voice continued.

** "Tell me, are you prepared to strike out on your own? Are you prepared to bleed for your ambitions?"**

"I am."

** "If that is true, then you must regain your drive for victory and conquer all who oppose you, starting with the woman that stifles your talent for her own gain!"**

"If that's what it takes, then I ask you… no, I _order _you to help me."

** "As. You. Wish. Let our contract be… an official declaration of war!"**

Suddenly, Hifumi felt something cover her nose and mouth. Tugging at it, she noticed it was a mask made out of wood, and was bright orange in color.

** "I am thou. Thou art I."**

She grabbed the edges, and began to pull, and just like those before her, she ignored the blood that spilled from the torn flesh on her nose and mouth.

** "The time has come to reclaim your dreams! May all enemies of the Hifumi Togo cower in fear, for her fire has been rekindled! And may all of her allies rejoice, for she will reward their loyalty! And may those who betray her pray to God for mercy, for they will get none from her."**

Hifumi tore off her orange mask and a blue fire erupted from the ground, consuming her.

** "The world will hear her name… and TREMBLE!"**

As the azure fires were gradually snuffed out, Hifumi's modern clothes were replaced by more traditional ones. Whereas before she had a dress with blue, orange, and white diamonds in a checkered pattern, she now wore the outfit of a ninja that was wrapped snugly around her figure, with an orange rope belt that was dotted with shogi pieces attached. On her shoulders were two steel pauldrons that fit comfortably, while wrapped around the sides of both her thighs were single pouches, and on her hands were fingerless gloves with an orange ribbon around her middle fingers. Covering her mouth was an orange oni mask, and her eyes were alight with burning contempt for the creature that gave birth to her.

"**_Fu Hao!_**Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!" Hifumi ordered.

Sitting behind the shogi player was her Persona, sitting on a miniature siege tower. She sported short hair and a scar running across the bridge of her nose. She wore a fine silk robe with only a steel pauldron with a dragon engraved as armor, and on her back was two blue banners, each having a gold star proudly on display. Strangely enough, the robe she wore had no sleeves, which revealed tattoos of the words "King General" on her left arm. On her hands, she wore fingerless gloves that had orange ribbons tied around her wrists, and her hands held two items; in her right was a shogi board, and in her left was an opened book, both of which were presented to Hifumi like prizes.

"That… was unexpected. G-guards! Kill the intruders! Leave my kin alive, but feel free to be a little rough with her!' Mitsuyo ordered, right before turning and fleeing.

"As you wish, Shogun." was their united reply as they all exploded into tar, merging into a single being that grew so large the warehouse was destroyed trying to contain it. Once the form became recognizable, the Team's legs froze with fear.

"I-is that…" Akechi started.

"A dragon? Yes. Yes it is." Yu said, his limbs going limp at the sight.

The dragon reared its head and unleashed a massive burst of fire from its mouth. The four Tricksters scattered, each narrowly avoiding the blaze. Yu summoned Izanagi to attack, only to have the lightning bounce back and paralyzed him from the shock. Akechi attacked with holy magic, only to have it absorbed, and most likely give it strength.

"Oh great, this is the 'Trial by Combat' on steroids." Shiho complained as she fired her gun.

"Hold on, you guys are hitting the wrong places." Hifumi informed.

"Come again?!" Akechi asked loudly.

"This massive creature has several strengths and weaknesses, each located in different areas." Hifumi replied as she read the book in front of her.

"Then which area is weak to fire?" Shiho asked.

"Let's see…"

Hifumi turned a page on her book, then turned to Shiho.

"Aim for the wings! That part's the most vulnerable to fire, and absorbs wind damage!"

Shiho did as told, and Boudica launched a massive barrage of flame, resulting in the dragon screeching in agony as its wings seemed to melt, then fade to ash. Shiho smiled, and the Shadow spun around, using its tail to counter attack. The tail managed to hit both Yu, which knocked him out of his paralysis and Shiho, but Morgana and Akechi dodged.

"The tail is weak to curse magic!" Hifumi called out.

"Succubus!" Yu yelled, taking off his mask and summoning the female demon.

The Persona twirled around, and a sudden burst of magic tore the tail like a guillotine, and the dragon breathed fire at the one responsible. Shiho sent in Boudica, the Persona absorbing all of the fire easily.

"This fight has dragged on long enough. Hifumi, what's the head weak to?" Yu asked.

"It doesn't have a weakness, but the neck seems to be vulnerable to physical attacks!" Hifumi yelled as the Dragon charged.

Akechi summoned Robin Hood, who jumped into the air. With the wings gone, he had a clear line of sight, and with the tail gone, there was no chance it could knock him away. The Persona let loose a single arrow, and it cut through the neck like hot butter. As the head rolled, and the body turned to ash shortly after, the whole Team let out a sigh of relief and turned to Hifumi.

"Thanks for the help. That battle would've been so much worse if it wasn't for you." Yu stated.

"Yes, thank you Hifumi." Akechi added.

"Yea, thanks. Hey, how'd you know what that thing's weaknesses were?" Morgana asked.

"Oh, well, I read the book." Hifumi answered, showing the others pages in Fu Hao's book. On those pages were pictures and writing of all the Phantom Team members, from strengths, weaknesses, and even how powerful they were in certain areas, like defense, magic, and so on.

"That's… strange. Carmen, do you know of any Personas that can do this?" Yu asked.

"I do now." Morgana replied with a smug grin.

"Can we not be a smartass?"

"_We _aren't being a smartass. _She _is." Hifumi pointed out.

"Oh, I like her." Shiho replied.

"To answer your question Seeker; every Persona is unique, and modeled after their owner. It's possible that if someone isn't the kind of person to get their hands dirty, or is more comfortable away from the action, then their Persona will reflect that."

"I see. Hifumi _is _a Shogi player after all, so it makes sense that she prefers strategy."

"Well regardless, the ability to determine the strengths and weaknesses will be an invaluable asset to the Team. Welco-" Akechi started.

"Woah woah, woah." Hifumi interrupted, holding up her hands.

"I have no idea what's going on, nor do I know any of you aside from your names." she reminded.

"She's right. Plus, chances are, her mom's looking for her." Morgana added.

"Oh yea, you're gonna have to explain how you, oh, what were the words? Oh yea. _Not bring anyone into the Metaverse. _" Yu imitated with his best Morgana voice.

Morgana couldn't do anything but offer a meek smile.

"In any event, we have what we came for. It's getting late in the real world, so we should head home." Akechi pointed out, earning a nod of agreement from everyone as they turned to leave.

* * *

As soon as the five were out of the Palace, Hifumi's phone went off.

"It's mother." She stated numbly.

"Take it. We can talk afterwards." Yu replied.

Hifumi accepted the call.

"Hello?"

"Hifumi! Oh thank god you picked up! I was so worried about you!" Mitsuyo cried.

"I'm fine mother."

"I'll believe it when I see it. Where are you? I saw you chase after the person that was in our house."

"Yes. I lost him. I don't know what he stole."

"That doesn't matter. What does matter is that you're safe. Come back to the house, the police will be here soon."

Hifumi hung up and turned to the group.

"Now what?"

"First thing's first; we need to head back to our respective homes. Let's exchange numbers." Yu answered.

"Afterwards, we'll answer any questions you may have about what all that just was." He continued as they exchanged numbers.

"Alright. You'll shoot me a text?"

Yu: Already did.

"Very well. I look forward to… whatever's going to happen." Hifumi informed as they went their separate ways.

* * *

Yu walked in the living room and heard the rustle of paper. Turning to the source, he saw Sae sitting in a leather chair secluded in the corner with a newspaper in her hand. She folded it up and placed it on a nearby table, then crossed her arms and stared at Yu.

"You're back late. And you didn't shoot me a text."

"The trains stopped running." The boy replied hastily, making a break for his room.

"Stop right there." Sae ordered, not letting him off the hook that easily. Yu turned around to face his prison warden.

"Where were you?" She asked.

"With Akechi and other friends."

Sae gave him her trademark glare. She clearly did not believe it. Her next words sent a shiver down Yu's spine.

"Let me see your diary."


	42. Hanging with the Ladies

Music: (Tension, Persona 5)

Yu simply nodded and motioned for her to follow him. Entering his room, he opened a drawer and pulled out his diary.

"Here you go."

Sae took the book and narrowed her eyes. The prosecutor opened up the book and began to flip through the pages, reading each entry. As she did, her face became more and more softened, and once she was done, she handed it back, satisfied.

"You surprise me again Narukami. Have you considered being an author? You write well."

"Thank you Sae-san, but no. I'm only doing this because I have to."

"Shame. In any event, I apologize for being…" Sae paused, looking for the right word.

"Suspicious?"

Sae let out a gentle giggle. That wasn't something Yu heard everyday.

"You know me so well. In any event, I am glad you're writing in your diary. Now, it's already late enough. Eat some leftovers if you have to, but be sure to go to bed. Good night."

Sae left, and Yu put his diary down, grinning like a criminal that narrowly evaded capture.

**Your scheme worked. Well done Narukami.**

_Earlier…_

"Thank you! Please come again!" A store owner shouted to an exiting customer. Yu turned his head to the second-hand store, and thought of an idea. He made his way to Shibuya Main Street, and hoped a certain store was still open before heading home.

Upon entering Shibuya's Main Street, he saw what he was looking for; the book store. And it was still open. He entered the shop and started to look around.

**What do we do if we can't find what we're looking for?**

_Then we keep looking. She had to buy it from somewhere._

"Hello sir. Can I help you find something?"

"Yes. Do you know where I can find blank books? Like diaries?"

"Ah yes, they're over in the back."

"Thank you."

Yu went and sure enough, there were several blank books lined up. After some searching, Yu found what he was looking for; an exact copy of the diary Sae had given him. Shortly after purchasing it, he went home, and got out a pen.

**Before you begin, make sure to check for any marks on the original. Like 'Property of Sae Niijima' or something of the sort.**

Yu did just that, flipping to the front and back covers for any mark that could distinguish the original from the twin. Finding nothing, he smiled as he went to work, writing down his diary entries yet again. Most of them were the same, except for one detail; Yu didn't make any mention of the Metaverse, Kobayakawa's calling card, or anything else that could implicate him and his friends. Satisfied, Yu had another problem.

_Where do I put the original?_

**We could destroy it. Throw it out, tear out the pages and flush them down the toilet.**

_No. Sae could walk in on me destroying it, and some random dumpster diver could find it if I throw it away. Plus, I can use it as something of a journal to write down the details of a target, like cognitive weaknesses. It would be better if we kept it here._

**If we get caught with it, the ramifications will be severe.**

_So we won't get caught. We'll hide it._

**Where?**

_Sae has proven to be very perceptive. The best way would be in plain sight._

Yu looked at his workbench. The tools had proven to be precise enough. He felt like he had enough proficiency to get it done. Without further delay, he went to work.

_Present…_

Yu closed the fake diary and opened the drawer he kept it in. In the drawer was a fake bottom he had installed specifically to house the real diary. Placing the fake diary on top of the fake bottom then closing the drawer, Yu proceeded to get out his phone and text Hifumi.

As Hifumi entered her home's area, she saw the flashing lights of the police, and standing on the front porch with an officer was Mitsuyo. Upon spotting her daughter, the TV mongul sprinted over to her, and embraced her tightly.

"Oh Hifumi! Thank God you're alright! The thief, did he hurt you?"

"No mother. In fact, he told me he wanted to meet me, and that's why he broke in."

"He was a fan?"

"Yes. The two of us talked, and I made sure he knew that if he wanted to talk to me, he wasn't to break into our house again. I believe that this will be the last we hear from him."

"You two talked? About what?"

"Oh nothing. He was just worried that you were working me to the bone. Even accused you of abuse, said you only saw me as a tool to build your empire, and that you even resorted to murder, blackmail, and framing people to get your way. But that can't be true, _right_?" Hifumi asked, giving her mother a hateful stare.

Mitsuyo paused before replying, taken aback by how specific those accusations were.

"Of course not dear. I love you and your father with all my heart." She answered, giving a fake smile and ignoring Hifumi's stare.

"You know what dear? You look tired. Why don't you go to bed, I'll handle the officers." Mitsuyo suggested.

"As you wish mother."

Hifumi walked away, and Mitsuyo frowned. She never asked for the identity of the fan because at first, she suspected it was the peasant Ryuji, but now, she knows exactly who it was. The woman whipped out her phone and made a call.

"Hello Emiko. I need you to find out where that Narukami kid is living. He and I are officially at war."

Hifumi went into her room, closed the door, and plopped down on her bed, not even bothering to get changed into pajamas. She rubbed her head in an effort to try and numb the pounding that was going on. So much had happened in so little time, she still couldn't believe it all, even though she witnessed it minutes prior. Her mother was a monster that cared only about herself, and had ruined so many people's lives. Not just that, but there was also that strange place, and those powers she had. Persona. Before she could think about it further, her phone buzzed.

Yu: Hello Hifumi. I imagine you have questions. Give me a moment, and I'll bring in the others.

Akechi: Greetings.

Morgana: Y hallo thar.

Shiho: Hey Hifumi!

Hifumi: Hi. So… I'm confused.

Yu: We all were when we first entered that place, believe me.

Morgana: Uhhh, I wasn't!

Akechi: Yu gave you the basic information beforehand. There exists a place known as the Metaverse, a separate dimension that's formed and altered by human cognition. As such, people who have an extremely warped view of the world, such as your mother, created twisted pockets of the Metaverse, known as Palaces. That's what you found yourself in with us.

Shiho: Palaces are also home to monsters called Shadows; creatures formed from the repressed desires of people. The only way to fight these things is with a Persona.

Hifumi: Those things that you guys were summoning during the fight with the dragon.

Yu: Yup. You have one yourself. Fu Hao, if I'm not mistaken.

Hifumi: Yes. Did you all have to go through that to summon yours?

Yu: Tearing off our flesh and bursting into flames because of the feels? You betcha!

Shiho: lol!

Akechi: In more serious terms, the process is essentially us forming a contract with our inner selves. In exchange for that power, we have to remain true to ourselves.

Hifumi: I understand. What exactly do you use that power for?

Morgana: I'm so glad you asked!

Shiho: Basically, the real world affects the Metaverse, and vice versa. At the heart of each Palace is a thing called a Treasure. What we do is, we infiltrate the Palace to get to the Treasure. But since the Treasure itself is just a giant gas cloud, we have to issue a calling card to make it something solid.

Hifumi: A card proclaiming that you'll take their heart.

Morgana: Exactly. After the target sees that, the cloud will take on a physical form, which we can then steal. If we can get the Treasure out of the Metaverse, the target will realize that they did wrong, and will repent for it, confessing their crimes and working to atone.

Hifumi: But my mom is a massive figure in the business world, and has wronged so many people. If she apologizes, she'll do so publicly. Her image, and by extension my father's and my own, will be beyond repair. We will be made pariahs and cast out and disowned by all of our friends.

Yu: Well… shit… That's something I know all too well, and I certainly don't wish it on you or your father.

Shiho: Yea. How a change of heart affects the target's family… that isn't something we thought about before, is it?

Akechi: No…

Akechi: But as cold as this may sound, we cannot ignore the immense amount of pain she has brought into the world. And if she's left to her own devices, it _will_ get worse.

Morgana: Hey, calm down Akechi! Hifumi could turn us in now that she knows our secret!

Shiho: OH SHIT!

Hifumi: Relax, I'm not going to turn you in.

Yu: Oh thank God.

Hifumi: But I'm not all that sure I should help you either. It's clear to me now that my mother is a disgusting excuse of a human being, but… My father has been ill for a number of years now. If he finds out about what my mother's been doing, especially from her mouth… I'm not sure he'll be able to take it.

Yu: This changes everything.

Akechi: If that's the case… I'm not sure if we should continue. It would be one thing if the target's life was at risk, but I'm not going to have an innocent man's life on my conscience.

Shiho: Yea.

Morgana: We could find another target. And then there's the matter of Hifumi knowing our secret.

Hifumi: Just… give me a few days to think. I'm still unsure as to what to do.

Yu: Alright. Let's all have a rain check on the infiltration.

Everyone gave their agreement and Yu's phone was silent. The teenager fell onto his back and into the comfort of his bed. He thought back to what Igor and the twins were telling him that he had to forge bonds in order to make his journey easier. Shortly after that, he remembered that, aside from Akechi in the diner, he hadn't really put much effort into getting to know his fellow Tricksters. He then felt a tingling along his skin, a signal that Izanagi had something to say. Yu let out a sigh, allowing his inner self to come out.

**So… you wanna get close to your team members.**

_Why yes Izanagi, I've been thinking about that, and I'm amazed you picked that up. It's almost as if you and I have the same mind!_

**Hey, don't get snappy my friend. Besides… I know who you wanna start with, and I want to give you advice.**

_What do you know about romance?_

**Only as much as you do.**

… _Fair enough._

**Then what are you waiting for? Text her already. Just be yourself.**

_Well, it's a little late, so she might not be up._

**Oh come on, it's only been a few minutes.**

Yu laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, weighing his options. Finally, he came to a conclusion.

_Alright… here goes nothing._

Yu picked up his phone and selected Shiho's number. Then he hesitated.

**Come on, what are you waiting for? DO IT!**

_Yea, hold on Shia LaBeouf. What if I screw up?_

**You didn't have this much trouble with Rise. Come on man, just channel the same confidence into this, and you can't screw it up.**

_Yea. Yea, you're right. I can do this. I CAN DO THIS!_

**That's the spirit! Go get 'em inferior me!**

The Wild Card began to type.

Yu: Hey Shiho, you up?

About a minute before a response.

Shiho: I am now.

Yu: So… I've been thinking…

Shiho: About what?

Yu: About Dometown. About how I screwed up.

Shiho: Oh, really? It was a tiny mistake, it happens to the best of us. Besides, there's no way any of us could've known that the virus was in the data.

Yu: I wasn't talking about the virus. I was talking about the part where I didn't know where we were going.

Shiho: Oh. Really? Why?

Yu: Well, I'd like to make it up to you, if you'd like. Just the two of us. If you catch my meaning.

Shiho: Oh. Oooohh!

Shiho: Um, little random, given our circumstances, but sure! If you don't mind someone who has the grace of a hippo, that is.

Yu: I didn't say that.

Shiho: Yes you did. -_-

Yu was about to type 'no I didn't', but Izanagi stopped him, reminding him that Shiho could still change her mind.

Yu: Oh right. Sorry about that.

Shiho: You're forgiven. This time. Anything you had in mind?

Yu: Um… maybe. How about Destinyland?

Shiho: WHAT?! REALLY?!

Yu had to pause to collect his thoughts. He certainly didn't expect this reaction.

Shiho: Wait. Are you sure? Do you have the money for it?

Yu cringed. He hadn't thought about that.

Yu: Um… actually, let's not go to Destinyland. I don't have a lot of money.

Shiho: …

Shiho: …

Shiho: …

Yu started to panic. It had been a full five minutes now.

Shiho: …

Shiho: …

Shiho: …

**When I said you can't screw it up, it wasn't a challenge!**

Shiho: …

Shiho: …

Shiho: Did you put _any_ thought into this?

Yu: No?

**Oh. My. Self.**

Shiho: You really know how to impress a girl Yu. :P

Yu: Sorry. I'm usually more confident than this.

Shiho: Really? Because from how you've been acting, I'd swear I was the first woman you've thought about romantically and was working off of online guides.

Yu: Hey, I'll have you know, I'm very confident in the Metaverse.

Shiho: Shame it doesn't carry over, lol.

Yu rolled his eyes, and he swore Izanagi was snickering.

_Some form of support would be nice._

**And I am giving support! To your far superior soon-to-be girlfriend. Or maybe she'll just stay your friend at the rate you're going.**

Shiho: Alright, how about this. I have Volleyball practice tomorrow. The day after that, we can go on a date. Use the school day to think of something. That sound good?

Yu: Yeah. Yeah, that sounds great!

Shiho: Alright Yu. Good night. _;)_

Yu put his phone away and pumped his fist in triumph.

**You know, I was kinda hoping you'd get rejected.**

_Why?_

**So that I could say "MISSION FAILED! WE'LL GET 'EM NEXT TIME!"**

_I really hate you sometimes Izanagi._

**Hey now! I am thou, thou art I, remember? Love yourself!**

Yu put his Persona away and went to sleep. He would need it if he was to think of something. That's when an idea popped into his head, and he smiled as he drifted off.

Yu closed the door behind him. He was currently standing on the rooftop, with the idea he had. She looked at him with a mix of confusion and concern.

"Alright Yu. What's Shiho involved with that's so bad?" Ann Takamaki asked.

"I… need to know what Shiho likes by tomorrow. Activities, food, anything."

Ann raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth at a curved angle.

"Eh?"

"I… I asked her out on a date. And she said yes."

"WHAT?!" Ann squealed before Yu promptly covered her mouth.

"Shhh! Keep it down!" Yu ordered.

"That's so sweet Naru-chan. When did you ask her out?" Another, more adorable voice asked.

Yu turned to the corner and saw Haru sitting there, minding her own business, with an adorable smile on her face.

"Haru? How-how long have you been there?" Yu asked.

"Since the dawn of time."

There was a moment of silence, as absolutely no one thought it was funny. Then she gave the real answer.

"Since lunch break started. I've been checking on the plants. I'm surprised neither of you noticed me until now."

"Oh. Well, to answer, I asked her out last night, and on a bit of a whim. She said yes, and it starts tomorrow. And well… I don't know what to do. Or at least, what she likes."

"Oh, I see! And you wanna get to know all the ways to get into bed the fastest." Ann said with a half-smile.

"Yes. W-well, I wanna make her happy! I-I don't want to take her to bed, well I k-kinda, b-but it's not a requirement." Yu stammered, caught off guard by Ann's boldness.

"Take who to bed?" A girl asked, standing in the doorway.

"Ah, M-Makoto! It-it's not-"

Before Yu could finish his sentence, Makoto pieced it together.

"Did… did you ask Shiho out on a date? And you needed Ann's advice?" She asked, turning her hands to fists and pressing them against her chin, as if ready to squeal like a schoolgirl.

"Yes."

"OH MY GOOOOD!" Makoto squeaked, doing small jumps.

"I know!" Haru added, squealing and doing her own jumps.

Yu saw Makoto pull out a phone and start typing.

"M-Makoto? What are you doing?" Yu asked

"Texting Sis. She'll definitely want to know about this." Makoto answered with a small smile.

Yu panicked. If Sae knew about this, he might not even be allowed to go on a date. He sprinted forward and attempted to grab the phone, but Makoto pushed her right arm outward and landed her palm on his forehead, keeping him away, like an older sibling making sure their baby brother couldn't get something in their hands. She hit the send button with a sadistic smirk, and Yu felt his heart sink. It was as if the universe itself was like "Look at him. Look at him and laugh". Then he felt his heart jump once his phone rang. He picked it up with the enthusiasm of a death row inmate.

"Hello?"

"You are to come straight home after school, understand young man?" The woman on the other end asked, and her tone made it very clear she wanted no argument.

"Yes Sae-san."

Yu hung his head low as the lunch bell rang. Before they made their way down, Ann put a hand on his shoulder.

"Shiho loves karaoke. In fact, she was so good at it way back in middle school that we called her Songbird Shiho."

"Thanks Ann. At least something good came out of this." Yu said, as he and the girls left the rooftop.

As Yu walked out of the classroom, and then the rest of the school in a significantly more deflated state than when he entered. He knew that what was waiting for him back at the apartment was not going to be pleasant, but he knew that trying to avoid Sae Niijima would only make things worse. As he and Makoto got on the train, he felt a familiar sensation of prickling across his skin. Izanagi wanted to be let out.

_Izanagi, you'd better behave yourself._

The god emerged, his helmet doing little to hide his shit-eating grin, and it didn't take long for the Persona to absolutely lose it.

**HAHAHAHA!**

_What's so funny?_

**I'm imagining what Sae's gonna do to you. I wonder if she's gonna drive you to Shiho's house and tell her to never talk to you again. Maybe she'll force you to 'practice' with her so you have an excuse to not go.**

_Izanagi, that doesn't sound like Sae-san at all._

**I know. But it's still fun to think about.**

Yu noticed that Makoto went for the elevator. As it's doors began to close, Yu went and sprinted up the stairs. If he was fast enough, perhaps he could sneak into his room and barricade himself inside and talk to Sae through the door. But as he reached his door, he started to fumble through his pockets for the key, and when he found it, he was ready to insert it, but before he could, Makoto grabbed him by the ear and dragged him through the main door.

"Siiisss! We're HOOOOOOME!" She yelled with glee.

_Oh please dear God, let this be quick and merciful._

**I'm standing right here.**

Sae's door swung open, and the prosecutor's eyes focused on him like a hawk that found a mouse, while Makoto looked up and grinned from ear to ear.

"Ah Narukami, there you are. Sit down." She ordered, pointing at the dinner table, and Yu hesitantly obeyed.

"Now, Makoto has told me that you plan on going out on a date. Did you finally work up the nerve to ask that girl you liked out?"

"Yes Sae-san."

"Alright. As happy as I am to see you take the leap of faith, I need to make sure that this girl won't be a bad influence. Name?"

"Shiho Suzui."

"Oh, the girl who tried to… alright. I can cross out some of the questions. Her phone number?"

"Excuse me?"

"If you go missing, and I can't reach you, I'm going to have to call her. Phone. Number."

"742-5530-4891"

"Address?'

"Oh come on."

"If something happens to you, I'm going to have to be able to track her down. Also, I want to make sure that you don't… stay the night with her."

"Sae!"

"Address, young man. Now."

Yu gave her the information, and she put the notebook down, satisfied.

"Alright. Now, when's the date?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? Well in that case…" Makoto smiled, and it was mischievous, like a prankster realizing April Fools was right around the corner.

"We'll need to see where he stands in the charm department. Narukami, get changed into your best clothes. You too Makoto." Sae ordered.

Makoto got up and went to her room, while Yu went to his own, getting dressed at a rather brisque pace, and went back to the living room. The lights in the room had been dimmed, as if someone wanted the atmosphere to be romantic. Makoto's door opened with a creak, and out stepped the student council president, pushing a cart with a wine bottle, a box of chocolates, a rose pot, and… a bucket of chicken?

And then there was Makoto herself. She had ditched the Shujin uniform in favor for a dress. A long, black satin dress with her left leg revealed, and at her waist was a red bow, and fingerless opera gloves. She smiled, eyeing Yu up like a snack for her to eat, which simultaneously scared him, and thanks to what she was wearing, made him excited. But a cough from Sae sent a jolt of fear through his system.

**Zoo. Wee. MOMA!**

"Well, at least we won't have to work on your wardrobe. But, looking the part is only half the process to a successful date. The other, is charm. Now, whether or not you get to go on that date will depend on how you react to Makoto's next words." Sae stated, giving a nod to her sister.

On cue, Makoto gently pushed the cart to him, her devious smile growing wider with every inch it moved.

"Seduce me."

"Um… I'm sorry what?"

"Seduce me."

Yu's face burned a bright red as his brain just seemed to fry at those two words. His probation officer's sister just told him to seduce her. If Sae wasn't in the room, and if he wasn't going on a date with Shiho, he would take full advantage of the situation was made even worse by Izanagi.

**Alright Narukami. You can do this. Just don't think about how that silky dress hugs her figure in all the right places, or how exposed her luscious and curvy body is. Don't think about the things you would do to her if it wasn't for Shiho.**

Izanagi hovered behind her, and let out an exasperated gasp.

**Oh my goodness! This dress makes her ass look…**

Izanagi breathed in deep.

**Scrumptious. **

_You're a piece of shit Izanagi._

"Narukami, while we're still young please." Sae said, impatience clear in her voice.

"R-right… so ummm… I just gotta…"

Makoto walked straight to him, with a small swing to her hips, and put her mouth next to his ear with a devilish smirk.

"Seduce. Me." She whispered in a husky voice, the same kind of voice Rise would use when she was teasing him and trying to get him riled up. And had it been any other situation, Yu would jump headfirst into the fun, consequences be damned, but he had enough self control to know better. Finally, Yu gathered his wits, or what was left of them, and grabbed the bucket of chicken.

"Hey there, good looking. I… got a bucket of chicken."

Makoto's smile vanished immediately, and the teenager then proceeded to slap Yu, followed by harsh words from Sae.

"What kind of cheap harlot do you think my sister is? You think that all it takes to sweep her off her feet is a bucket of chicken?" She asked, disgusted.

Yu said nothing, mostly because he didn't know what to say. Sae let out a groan and pressed her fingers against her nose.

"Dear God, we have so much work to do. Thank your lucky stars that the date isn't today. We have to whip you into shape."

"To be what?"

"To be a proper gentleman. If you want to dazzle this woman, you're going to have to earn it, and that means etiquette, table manners, dancing and the like. Let's get started."

"But… I have homework." Yu excused. If her romance lessons were half as intense as her boxing lessons, then he had reason to be afraid. He had reason to be _very_ afraid.

"I can do it for you. We'll see to it that you are equipped to give Suzui-san the best romantic experience of her life. Now, let's get to work." Makoto countered.

And so it began. The Niijimas started with dinner lessons, with Makoto as the date and Sae used a riding crop to whack Yu's hand whenever he did something wrong, all while instructing him how to properly dine at a five star restaurant. Next was dancing. Sae was not impressed with Yu's breakdancing skills, especially since he accidentally knocked over and broke a vase. After that, Sae turned on some waltzing music and then proceeded to instruct Yu in how to do proper ballroom dancing. And when it came to practice, Makoto decided to be his partner.

"Alright Narukami, first, stand up straight. If you want to ballroom dance properly, you're going to have to straighten your neck and body. Don't lean on your partner. You want to have your hand just below her shoulder blade. Keep your fingers cupped and together. Now, as for the dancing-" Sae started, and Yu just shook his head. He had had enough.

"Sae-san, why is this necessary? I'm just going to karaoke. I'm not taking her to some place where we'll meet celebrities. This whole thing is stupid and unnecessary, and frankly, given how you don't have a man, I doubt you're very qualified to give anyone romantic advise."

Makoto's mouth dropped open, as if to say 'ooooo, you're in trouble now.' Sae, to her credit, kept her cool. She motioned for her sister to step away as she strode up to Yu, who didn't step back and didn't look away.

"This is necessary because you may not do much on your first date, but for the later times when you spend time alone with her, you may find yourself in one of the situations I'm training you for. Besides, you can pleasantly surprise her. And as for being qualified; I've helped four of my co-workers just like I'm helping you now. Three of them are happily married, and the fourth is moving to be with his sweetheart. So yes, I do know a thing or two about how the heart works. Any other stupid questions?" Sae spoke calmly, but Yu could feel the fury that was barely concealed in her tone.

Yu finally broke the staring contest he had with his guardian, and the tall woman simply nodded, and Moakoto got back into position, while Sae walked to a boombox to turn on the music. When the beat began to play, the first thing Yu did was accidentally step on Makoto's foot.

_Dear Diary:_

_All I ask is one day without some form of stress. _

_Just. _

_One. _

_Day. _

_Today, I wanted some help in knowing what to do about my date with Shiho. It was supposed to be just one conversation where Ann would tell me things Shiho did and didn't like. Instead it grew into a horrific experience that will most likely give me PTSD. Sae's lessons were brutal. Bruises have started to form on my knuckles where she hit me with a riding crop, I have been slapped more times today than I have in my entire life for saying the wrong thing, Sae looked ready to kill me when I almost broke her vase, and when I accidentally stepped on Makoto's foot, Sae almost tasered me. The rest of the experience, I'm not even going to jot down. Here's hoping this nightmare ends as soon as I go on my date with Shiho. But hey, at least it can't get any worse, right?_

Yu woke up to the sound of chains, signaling that he was in the Velvet Room. When he approached the bars, he was surprised to see only Caroline waiting for him. Even more confusing, she appeared to be… happy to see him.

"Hello inmate. Are you ready for the greatest comedy routine of your life?" She asked with glee.

"Um… what?"

"We've heard about your attempts to court one of your Confidants, and have decided to try and help."

"Oh sweet baby Jesus, no."

"Oh sweet baby Jesus, yes!"

That's when Justine entered, holding a massive book titled "Velvet Puns". She too, seemed happy to see him.

"One of the traits that females desire the most from their mates is humor. So we are here to share our knowledge of everything funny with you!" Caroline stated as Justine opened the book.

"What about Igor?"

"Master has no idea we're even doing this! If he did, we'd be punished. Now inmate, sit back, relax, and prepare to laugh! Don't worry, if you come close to dying from laughter, we'll stop."

With that sentence, Caroline looked at her twin.

"Everything you're about to hear was thought up by yours truly!" Caroline beamed with pride.

Justine took a deep breath.

.

.

.

"What's more amazing than a talking dog? A spelling bee." Justine read in a monotone voice.

"What?" Yu asked, puzzled.

"Why did the scarecrow get a medal? He was out standing in his field." Justine said with a straight face, while Caroline's began to contort into one of someone holding back their laughter.

"Oh God."

"The cookie went to the doctor because he felt crummy."

"Justine, please-"

"I like the food on the moon, but the restaurants have no atmosphere."

"Make it stop…"

"I would give you an unemployment joke, but it doesn't work."

"Every pun is a new nightmare."

"I got fired from the calendar factory for taking a day off."

"All I feel is pain."

"What's the difference between snowmen and snowwomen? Snowballs."

That's when Caroline joined.

"What do you call a cow in an earthquake? A milkshake."

"Captain Crunch's murder was related to a cereal killer."

"Why did the ancient Romans close down the Coliseum? Because the lions were eating up all the prophets."

Yu could do nothing but scream as the twins continued their relentless barrage of awful humor.

"Why?! WHY?! WHYYYYYYYYYYYY?!"


	43. Start of Something Special

Yu had managed to get through school without much harassment from the people there. Oh sure, there were plenty of rumors being flown about what he, Ann, Haru and Makoto were doing on the roof, ranging from Makoto doing a lecture to having a straight up porn shoot. The last bit caused a great deal of glares to be sent Yu's way, but over the weeks, Yu has managed to get much better at blocking out the noise as he went about his day. He was so good in fact, that when he was texting the details of their date to Shiho, he didn't hear his name get called on by a teacher in class, and had to report to Ushimaru for 'discipline'. As he walked out of the principal's office with a chalk mark on his forehead, he got a text from none other than Shiho Suzui herself.

Shiho: So? What's the plan?

Yu: I was thinking we could start small. Do you know Big Echo?

Shiho: Do I know it?! Buddy, I was the queen of that place before highschool.

Yu: Great. I was thinking about 6. Should give us enough time to do homework and prepare.

Shiho: So, we're gonna meet at Big Echo at about 6. Is that right?

Yu: Yup. Hope to see you there!

Shiho: Hope to have a good time. See you there!

Yu felt himself smile, grateful that waking up early to research karaoke clubs paid off. As Yu was getting his shoes from his shoe locker, he saw an envelope called 'From: Ryuji. Here's hoping you use it.' Upon opening it, Yu had to roll his eyes and facepalm when he saw the condom roll out. And it was extra small too.

** Well, at least it's the thought that counts.**

_ He could've at least gotten the size right. _

Despite what he's been through, Yu was looking forward to this. He got breath fresheners, he got his best suit cleaned, and, he had help from Shiho's best friend. Now, all he had to do was put that knowledge to good use, and make sure he didn't screw up. Making his way home, he breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that there wasn't a single female around. The hours ticked by as he did his homework, studied, and even made a few lockpicks. His alarm went off, signaling that it was 5:15. Time to get ready.

* * *

Yu stepped out of the shower, the hot steam still radiating off his skin, and he had to admit, he felt good. He smiled as he put on cologne, and the finishing touches of his outfit, but that smile vanished as he put on his belt and heard a voice.

"Narukami? Are you still here?"

** It's Sae! Run boy! RUUUUUN!**

Yu could find no reason to argue, he had already done all the preparations. Grabbing his key and running out the door that led to the hall, he prepared to bolt as fast as his legs could carry him.

"NOT SO FAST!"

He grimaced, but was careful to hide this fact as he turned around to a very unhappy Sae, who had her arms crossed.

"And just where do you think you're going young man?"

"To my date?"

"Have you done homework?"

"Yes," He answered.

"Have you studied?"

"Yes."

Sae pulled out a brush.

"You forgot to brush your hair."

Yu reached out to grab it, but Sae kept it out of reach.

"Lead the way. I'll make sure to fix your hair on the train."

"I can fix it myse-"

"No backtalk young man."

** We are running out of time Narukami. Just say yes, and get it over with.**

Yu let a groan and motioned for Sae to follow him, which she did up to the train station. After they boarded, the prosecutor went to work, making sure any loose strands were taken care of and Yu couldn't help but notice some people on the train giggling at him, no doubt taking pictures to show their friends. Finally, the train stopped and Yu led his guardian to the street the club was on. And there, he saw Shiho waiting for him at the entrance.

She was wearing a beautiful wrap dress that reached down to just past her knees. The dress itself was red with a white bow around her waist, while decorated with orange flowers. Upon spotting him, she gave an enthusiastic wave, and Yu gave a meek one in reply, still fearful of Sae's reaction. The silver-haired woman turned him towards her, and let out a heavy sigh.

"Alright. Remember what Makoto and I taught you, and you should be fine. And remember, if she tries to pressure you to do something you don't want to do, or something you know isn't right, it's perfectly ok to say no."

_ Why yes Sae, I wasn't born yesterday, thanks for asking. _

"Also, if you _absolutely _have to stay the night with her, I fully expect you to be responsible, understood?"

** Niijima? More like Niijimom, amiright?**

"Yes Sae-san. Can I please go now?"

The prosecutor gave a gentle smile.

"Yes. Have fun."

Yu didn't have to be told twice. Running to Shiho, he looked back one last time to see his guardian board the train and _finally _leave him alone. He approached the volleyball player, who smirked.

"Mommy trouble?" She teased.

"More like jail warden. Ready?"

"Of course. You look really nice by the way, love the brushed hair. Let's-a-go!" Yu's now girlfriend declared enthusiastically.

With that, the two students entered Big Echo club, seeing a ton of other people in the place as well. The club itself was about two stories high, and wide enough to have an aquarium, with a dance floor that many of the patrons were currently on. As they looked around and Yu admired the sights, Shiho heard her name from somewhere in the crowd.

"Oh my God. Is Shiho really going on a date with him?"

"She does know that he tried to do a porn shoot with her friend, right?"

Oh great. Shujin students. Pricks seemed to be everywhere.

"She could do better than that bastard."

"Wonder if he's carrying any STDs?"

"Think he's gonna give them to her as payback for what she did during volleyball?"

She shot them a glare and was prepared to march over and slap them, but stopped herself. She was on a date. She was supposed to relax, to have fun. She shouldn't let a few untrue rumors ruin it.

"Ah, there it is." Yu said, pointing away from their peers.

They saw a sign that said "Karaoke upstairs.", so they went up there, and found an open door, signifying an unused room. Stepping inside and making sure to lock the door behind them. Switching on the machine, they saw a wide plethora of various songs to choose from.

"Which should we play first?" Shiho asked.

"Let's see what we have to work with."

Yu began to scroll through various genres. There was rock, there was jazz, there was electronic, and more.

"You know, not that I don't appreciate it Yu, but I have to wonder, why Karaoke? Why not a movie, or dinner, or something of the sort?"

"Well, I figured that it would be better if we did something active, and I don't really have all that much money for fancy dinners."

"Gotcha. But I'm glad you chose karaoke regardless. You know, they used to call me 'Songbird Shiho' back in middle school."

"In that case, I look forward to seeing, or in this case, hearing, how you got that. No way. They actually have this? What?"

"What is it?" Shiho asked, curious.

"It's a song from a videogame called 'Qwark's Opera'. Here, take a seat. This is gonna be good, I promise."

"Alright! Just let me get comfortable."

Shiho sat down on a nearby couch while Yu grabbed a mic. The words began to show up on screen, the music started to play, and Yu took in a deep breath.

"Let me tell you how it all went down. I was hired to save this little town! They were needing someone of great might! So for a fee, I put up a big fight!"

As the music played, Yu put his hands in front of his face, as if he was a boxer.

"Here's the first verse of how I saved everyone, from being food, for the Clam dudes. Theeeeeeeeey were trying to sink the cityyyyyyy; I jumped in to save the daaaaay. I swam right under it, and plugged the leak. With just my left butt cheek."

Yu spanked himself for emphasis, and Shiho giggled.

"I turned the tables on the giant clams, cracking their heads, with fists of lead! Theeeeeeeeey were no match for my rugged brawn, and my wit as sharp as steeeeeeel! And now the townsfolk know, oysters taste nice! With just a-little-spice!"

The instrumentals came on, and Yu began acting like he was the conductor, waving his arms wildly. Then the next set of lyrics came on. Sucking in a deep breath, Yu continued his singing.

"Long, long ago, some Sea Lemurs had been, flushed down the loo. Along with poo. Theeeeeeeeey made the sewers of the town their home, plotting revenge on the cityyyyy. They felt the time was ripe, to stage their coup. But I knew what to do!"

Yu lifted his finger up, and put a "EUREKA" look on face.

"Using my wit, I thought of a great plan; get them all jobs! Like average slobs! Theeeeeeeeey were not too keen on my idea, so they pulled tridents on meeeeeeeee. I pulled out my giant gun. And mowed them down. That's how I saved the town!"

Yu used his hands to imitate shooting a machine gun, a maniacal smile on his face as he did it until the next set of lyrics showed up on screen.

"Next thing you know, some aliens attack! Little green guys, filling the skies. Ciiiiiiiitizens got scared and ran away, but I told them not to feeeeeear! I'll use my laser eyes, to shoot them down! And save your little town! It wasn't long until they all were **DEAD**! Alien meat, littered the street. Aaaaaaaaaactually it was quite a mess. Innards everywhere you loooooooooked! I guess in retrospect, I probably, should refund half my fee!"

The instrumentals came on again, and Yu this time made it look like he was making it rain money. The boy walked up to his date and kept going, with Shiho playing along, pretending that she was bathing in the 'money' he unleashed. Then the next set of lyrics came on.

"Perhaps you've heard of the Chaos Theory? Butterfly things, flapping their wings. Caaaaaaause a typoon halfway around the world. That just makes no sense to meeeeeee. I squashed that butterfly, and nothing changed! Do you think that is strange?"

Yu gave an overdramatic shrug.

"Unless you count GIANT MAMA BUTTERFLY, showed up annoyed, bent to destroy! Iiiiiiiiiit was really not that hard to kill. I just ripped apart its wiiiiiings."

Shiho gave a gasp and tried to hide her smile at that sentence.

"You next time you should think, before you act. That's not theory, it's fact!"

The instrumental came back on, and Shiho could help but giggle.

"How long is this song?"

"We've got two more verses left to go, including this one!" Yu answered as the next set of lyrics came on.

"Up from the depths came an ocean god! Horrific beast, wanting a feast. Iiiiiiiit wanted a virgin sacrifice, but I just could not obliiiiiiige! I am not one to boast, but lets just say, I kissed a girl that day!"

Shiho narrowed her eyes and smirked.

"So I decided to turn on the charm! Flirt with the god, flexing my bod. Theeeeeeen, as it came close for a kiss, it closed all eight of its eyyyyyyyyes! I thrust my giant sword, into its head!"

Yu then did a pelvic thrust. Shiho facepalmed at the action, but still laughed at it.

"And now the god is DEAD!"

This time, Yu flexed his muscles as the instruments played, and Shiho made sure to take full advantage of the fact, ogling him from head to toe. The song continued, and Yu took a deep breath.

"When it was time for my hero parade, a nasty brute, wearing a suit, whoooooooooo was representing those I'd slain, served a civil suit to meeeee! He said I had to pay, attorney's fees, for all their families. Having no recourse but to rectify, the legal case, and save some face, IIIIIIIIII decided there was just one way, I could save myself some griiiiiiief. As I pretended to, sign the fat check, I snapped his scrawny neck!"

Shiho started laugh and shake her head. The next verse would be the last one.

"When. It. Was. Done. The town was not to thrilled. With the big mess and my giant bill. They said I should stay and mop the floor. But I told them my contract staaaaaaaates: Caveat Emptor!"

And just like that, the song of Qwark's Opera was over, and Yu gave a bow to his fellow trickster.

"All hail Yu Narukami! Slayer of clams, lemurs, aliens, butterflies, sea goddesses, and lawyers!" Shiho cheered.

"Thank you, oh thank you!"

Shiho stood up and made her way to the karaoke machine, and Yu took her place, his lungs and chest burning from his efforts. Shiho gave a smirk as she selected the song.

"Alright Yu. Ready to hear me sing?"

"If you're half as good at singing as you are at volleyball, I'm sure I'm in for a treat."

Music: Butterfly- Swingrowers.

Shiho got ready to speak the lyrics, she eyed Yu, giving a coy smile and started to tap her feet in sync with the beats of the music. Finally, the lyrics came onto the screen, and the girl began her performance, her pitch was smooth and rich, like chocolate, a beautiful crescendo of words merging with the music, which was lively.

"Fly fly butterfly, butterfly-fly go-go. Go go butterfly, butterfly-fly go-go. Fly fly butterfly, butterfly-fly go-go"

Her body swayed side-to-side, refusing to stay still as she gave her performance. Yu could listen and watch her forever, and he felt infinite shame in the fact that the best he could do was a song from one of his favorite videogames that somehow made its way here. Finally, the eloquent performance had ended, and Yu gave as thunderous applause as one person could give. The volleyball girl gave a deep, but exaggerated bow.

"Thank you. Thank you. Oh, you are too kind." She said, enjoying the fact that she was being doted on.

"I can see how you got your nickname, Songbird."

"Please, keep calling me Shiho. But yea, it was nice to sing that again. But my parents want me back soon. And I'm sure your not-mom will get worried too." The girl teased.

"One more song. I have to at least try to match you." He replied.

"Alright. Make it good."

* * *

Hifumi was sitting with her father. Right now, she had just gotten back from the church, and she still hadn't made a decision, despite thinking about it for well over a day. On one hand, she knew who her mother truly was, and that she had to be stopped, that she had to pay for what she's done. But on the other, making her confess, and the sheer explosion of rage directed at her and her father… it could cause his health to deteriorate to fatal levels. And now, it was the moment of truth.

"How's my favorite child doing?"

"I must confess to being conflicted father."

"How so?"

"There's… someone in my life, someone for whom my admiration is second only to you."

"And you found out some unsavory details about them." He guessed.

"Yes."

"Hifumi, one of the many unfortunate lessons life will teach you is that no one is perfect. Everyone, myself included, have flaws that will weigh us down, and maybe even repulse others. The key is-"

"I'm not talking about that, father. I'm talking about… breaking the law levels of unsavory."

There was a moment of silence as Kaito contemplated his daughter's words.

"Oh." Was all he could say.

"And now, I am torn. If what this person has done is made public… it could negatively impact our family for generations. And if they are not brought to justice, then they will not stop. They will keep hurting people, and they will keep getting away with it."

"I don't think I'm the best one to talk to about this, sweetheart. It is your mother who has all of the connections and resources to eliminate this threat. You should talk to her."

"I… I can't, father."

"Why not? She has the means to fight any opponent. It shouldn't matter, even if it's the Prime Minister, she should be able to handle it. Unless…"

Kaito Togo looked at his daughter, and in his eyes, she saw an iron will that hadn't made itself known since he was teaching her how to play Shogi for the first time.

"Hifumi, I need you to be honest with me. Is the person you're talking about your mother? Don't think about my health, don't think about your love for her, just answer yes or no."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Y-yes."

Hifumi found herself crying now. Kaito embraced his daughter into a tight hug, patting her on the back, and held her there until she could control herself, which she did after a number of minutes. Pulling herself back with puffy red eyes, her father spoke.

"What crimes has she committed?" He asked, his tone akin to that of a general interrogating a prisoner.

"She- she killed Aunt Ami."

"Ami? As in Ami Ito?"

"The one who gave me my first Shogi board."

Absolutely mortified would not do what Kaito was feeling justice. His whole life, he had known two women who were practically inseparable. One had looks, ambition, and brains, while the other had kindness, maturity, and wisdom. They were utterly inseparable, and once they befriended him, unstoppable. Both seemed more than willing to walk through hell to save the other, and now? Now he knew one caused the death of the other, and now that he thought about it, Ami was always the most responsible of the three, she would no better than to go drinking and get rowdy with someone, especially so close to their wedding. Unless someone wanted it to happen. It would explain everything, how she would drink more than she could handle, how he saw the deed just as it was about to finish. How Mitsuyo was able to come in and save him from drowning himself into an abyss just in the nick of time. How could he have not seen it sooner? Was he _that _desperate for comfort? Absolutely mortified would not do what he was feeling justice at all.

"I-I know it's a lot to take in. It was for me too, but-"

Hifumi quickly stopped when she noticed something.

Her father wasn't breathing, and when she pressed her fingers against his neck, she felt no pulse.

In a frantic panic, she pulled out her phone and dialed 1-1-9.


	44. Time to Make a Decision

Yu and Shiho left Big Echo with smiles on their faces and, in Yu's case, coughing up quite a bit.

"Man, that last song really did a number on my vocal cords. I feel like my chest is going to explode." The teenager rasped.

"I can tell. For the record, it took years of singing in the shower to get where I am."

"Yea, you were magnificent. I'm amazed you're a volleyball player, because after tonight, I'd swear you were an Idol."

"You know, when I was a little girl, I originally wanted to be. In fact, that was the reason I started singing in the shower to begin with. But my aunt, who was a former Idol, told me about all the challenges and… prices that came with it, and I decided that it wasn't for me."

"And volleyball? How'd you get into that?" Yu asked, letting out a cough.

"Honestly? Mom was pressuring me to join some kind of extracurricular, because it would look on my resume, college applications, and so on, but it was also to show the world her daughter could excel at school and then some. So to get her off my back, I chose Volleyball. Took awhile, but I came to enjoy it. Almost as much as I enjoyed this date." She purred with a smirk.

"I aim to please. When do you want to have another?"

"I'll leave that for you to decide. See you tomorrow Yu."

"See you. And Shiho? I enjoyed this too."

The girl gave a genuine smile and walked away to the train station. Out of the corner of his eye, Yu noticed something strange; there appeared to be a man in an overcoat with square sunglasses with a fedora and shaved haircut. Ignoring the figure that caught his attention for no apparent reason, Yu proceeded to get out his phone and let Sae know that he was coming home.

Yu: On my way back.

Sae: Perfect. I trust you didn't do anything morally questionable?

Yu: We robbed a bank, killed a few cabinet members, dealt drugs, and abducted some kids to sell as sex-slaves. Pretty standard, I think.

It took a good few minutes before Sae replied, and Yu was getting legitimately worried that she couldn't tell it was a joke.

Sae: Then it would appear congratulations are in order.

Yu: Yea, it was nice. Don't know when we should have another one.

Sae: Depends on her schedule. But we'll have to talk about it later. Right now, it's late. Makoto's probably asleep, so try not to wake her.

Yu: I won't.

With that, the teenager pocketed his phone, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the same man in the suit and glasses was also on the train. And he seemed to be looking straight at him. Weird.

_ Izanagi, keep an eye on that guy. I've got a bad feeling about him. _

Once the train stopped and Yu got off, he decided to take the long way home, taking so many nooks and crannies that he almost got lost himself, but was always able to get back on track. Suddenly, Yu saw the same man from before right in front of him.

_ Izanagi, he's following us. _

** No. The guy I'm with is in a limo. With Togo.**

Yu began to walk past the guy. But when he did, the goon reached out to grab the teenager, but Yu was ready. Side-stepping the man, Yu bolted the second his pursuer made his mistake, running faster than he did when he was running for his life back in Shujin Nation. The man turned to give chase, which only prompted the boy to run even faster. Yu knocked over trash cans, jumped over fences, anything and everything to get away, and he was steadily putting distance between himself and his pursuer. Finally, he hid inside an alleyway behind a dumpster, and waited. Recalling Izanagi and sending the Persona out, the god of Japan could find no trace of their stalker. Walking out of an alley, and back on the path home, a limo came up to the stoplight that, coincidentally, was the same light Yu was stopped at as well. The limo pulled over, and a window rolled down and a voice called to him. A voice that belonged to Mitsuyo Togo.

"Hello Yu Narukami. I apologize for the rather… unfriendly introduction, but I just had to meet you." She said in a tone that made it clear she wasn't sorry at all.

** You're in public Narukami. Don't indulge her.**

The signal was given to cross, so that's what he did, and the limo followed.

"See, the reason why I wanted to meet you so is because of your… after school activities. Activities I'm sure the police will also be interested in."

This forced Yu to stop in his tracks and grimace.

_ Looks like we don't have a choice anymore Izanagi. _

** Be. Careful. We know how far she's willing to go to accomplish her goals.**

The door opened, and Yu stepped inside. The limo itself wasn't all that massive, but it was big enough for Yu, Mitsuyo, and both of her goons. When the boy closed the door, the car began driving to distances unknown. The mistress of the vehicle gave a rotten smile as she addressed her prey.

"So glad to finally talk face-to-face. I trust you know why you're here? I'll give you a hint; it's not something many can do."

Yu felt his chest tighten. If she somehow knew about the Metaverse, or worse, that he and his team were trying to steal her heart, then this could get really bad, really fast. He swallowed, an act that seemed to take everything he had to happen.

"Well? Do you?"

"No, Togo-san, I-"

"Sama."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, you'll beg alright. From this moment on, you are to address me as Togo-sama. And the reason for that, is because you are my bitch now."

The woman reached inside her bag and pulled out a tablet which displayed a video.

"This is why you're here."

She hit play, and Yu saw that it was a recording of him in Mitsuyo's office, breaking into her computer and stealing data from her. Once the recording ended, Yu's current captor leaned forward.

"I know you didn't access anything on that drive. I had a failsafe installed, and I know you triggered it, so don't even try to bluff into blackmailing me. Now, I could've given this to the police, but since I'm feeling generous, I'll give you a chance to make sure that doesn't happen."

Yu had to stop himself from releasing a sigh of relief. Sure, he was still going to be strong armed into doing something that would no doubt involve breaking the law, but at least it wasn't the worst-case scenario. Doing his best to hide his relief, Yu growled.

"What do you want?"

"Careful. I can always add terms and conditions. For now, I want you for your connections. See, your daddy dearest has been a real pain in my ass, and he's come far too close to getting me. You are going to convince him to back off."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"Get creative boy. I'm sure you can think of something before Rise gets here."

"Wait, what?" Yu asked, eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh didn't I say? I'm having that famous piece of jailbait, Rise Kujikawa on my station in a week. You have that long to make sure your daddy knows to stay away from me, or else that dear prosecutor guardian of yours might find something scandalous in the mail."

"So if I get my father off your back, I'm off the hook?"

"Not quite. See, you could've made a very bloody mark in my empire, and even tried to drag my daughter into your schemes. I'll see that you get what you deserve. Besides, I have many uses for vigorous, young men." Togo replied, running a finger down Yu's chest. If it weren't for the henchmen, Yu would've allowed himself the small, defiant act of slapping her finger away. Finally, the limo stopped.

"Your stop Narukami. And remember, one week, convince your father to stop investigating me, or else." Mitsuyo reminded.

"Understood."

"Understood, what?"

Yu simply glared at her, and she matched him with a snarl.

"Well?"

"Understood, Mitsuyo-sama."

"Good boy. See? You're already becoming well trained!" She complimented gleefully.

Yu stepped out of the car, disgust and contempt coursing through his veins.

"Oh, and don't worry about trying to contact me. My sources will know when you've done your job. See you around, pet." The woman replied.

The limo pulled away, and Yu felt Izanagi rumbling in his bones. The boy shook his head, now fully processing everything that just happened, and growled. He was a fly caught in a web, and he needed to get out before the spider came to eat him. Pulling out his phone, he sent a single text to his group.

Yu: Guys, we have a problem.

Akechi: What? Did the date not go well?

Yu: No, I got cornered by Mitsuyo.

Shiho: Really? That's not good.

Yu: There's more.

Morgana: Of course there is. How bad?

Yu: Apparently, dad's been trying to work on a case against Mitsuyo. She wants me to stop him, and I have a week to get it done.

Akechi: A week? Oh, that's not a lot of time. That's not a lot of time at all.

Yu: I know. We're going to have to charge through the Palace as soon as we can. We'll head in tomorrow, with or without Hifumi.

Shiho: I can't make it tomorrow.

Yu: How come?

Shiho: Tomorrow I have a volleyball game.

Yu: Shit. Then it'll have to be Wednesday, maybe Thursday. Any longer, and I'll have to work at Leblanc.

Akechi: Plus Sae-san on Sunday.

Morgana: What about Hifumi? What do we do about her?

Yu: I'll try to send her a text. Hopefully she'll understand.

Shiho: Hopefully. I had hoped our break would last longer.

Morgana: Me too. But the work of us Tricksters are never finished.

Yu: If there's nothing else, have a good night everyone.

After everyone had said their goodbyes, Yu walked into his room and got changed, letting out a low, heavy sigh. He just couldn't seem to catch a break. First, that night happened, then he almost got killed, then he got blackmailed by Kobayakawa, and now he was being roped into slavery by Mitsuyo to do her bidding. And he would bet Izanagi that she wouldn't stop with just getting dad off her tail. Probably some more… physical favors, if that touch was anything to go by. And then there was the mess with Hifumi.

_ I knew I shouldn't have let it be Morgana to do the break-in. _

Suddenly, his phone buzzed.

"Huh. Speak of the devil."

Hifumi: Narukami, are you up?

Yu: I am. Have you made your decision?

Hifumi: I haven't, no. It's just… something's happened.

Yu: Yea, tell me about it.

Hifumi: My father's in the hospital.

Narukami was taken aback by the news.

Yu: Wait, what? How'd that happen?

Hifumi: I told him what I learned at that Palace place. The news had an impact on his health, and I had to call an ambulance. But he is still alive, and… I'm worried what taking mother's heart will do to him.

Yu: I understand. I'd hesitate too if my father's life was on the line.

Hifumi: Can… can we talk in person tomorrow? I air my grievances better face-to-face.

Yu: Sure. Just tell me where and when.

Hifumi: At my school's rooftop. As soon as school gets out.

Yu: Got it.

Hifumi: Alright. Good night.

Yu put on the last of his pajamas, yawned, and pretty much fell onto bed. There was so much to do tomorrow, and so little time to do it.

* * *

Yu had difficulty focusing during class today, and no matter how many slabs of chalk Ushimaru chucked at the boy's forehead, the events of last night just would not leave his mind. Tomorrow was likely going to be their one and only chance to complete the infiltration. Maybe the day after, but they never knew what the future would bring. So many thoughts and scenarios whirled in his head that he didn't notice a certain girl approach him.

"Hey Yu, whatcha up to?" She asked, making him borderline leap into the air from fright.

_ God damnit Ann. _

"O-oh, hey Ann." Yu chuckled nervously.

"Do you know what Shiho has today?" Ann asked, a coy grin on her face.

"A volleyball game?"

Ann's smile vanished.

"Oh, you knew? Then I take it you're gonna be headed there shortly." She said, looking at his full backpack.

"Oh, umm… yea…"

"You _are _going to support her right? I mean, you're her boyfriend now." Ann replied, suspicion beginning to seep into her voice.

"Of course."

"Well then, let's go! It's gonna start soon." Ann replied, grabbing his hand.

"Um, actually, I have to go someplace else." Yu retorted, breaking off contact.

"Really? Like where?" Ann asked, legitimately curious.

"Work." Yu sputtered out. Ann narrowed her eyes.

"That's funny. Shiho told me you only work on Fridays and Saturdays." The blonde spoke, hostility steadily rising in her tone.

"Oh, um, well…"

Ann grabbed Yu's collar and clenched her fist.

"Are you cheating on her? After your first date?"

"Of course not!"

_ Jeez, first sign of me being fishy, and you jump to the worst possible scenario. _

"Then why lie about work?"

"He means work for his guardian." Akechi answered from behind.

"Gah! You scared me." Ann stated, putting a hand over her heart.

_ Welcome to the club. _

"I apologize for the secrecy Takamaki-san, but Narukami-san here also works for his current guardian, Sae Niijima. She's having him gather information on a case she's building."

"Niijima? As in Makoto-senpai?"

"Yes, Sae-san is Makoto-san's older sister. No one but me and Narukami-san know about it, so don't bother asking Makoto-san."

"O-oh. Guess I might've jumped the gun a bit, hehe. My bad!" Ann apologized with a forced smile.

"Can I go now?" Yu asked, tired of all the drama.

"Yea sure." Ann replied.

Both Yu and Akechi went their separate ways, but Ann remained where she was, her foot tapping furiously at the floor. She didn't buy their story, not one bit. But she had put Narukami on guard, which meant she couldn't act on her instincts. Besides, she had to support Shiho during the game. But she did have someone she could call on. Whipping out her phone, she shot that person a text.

"Hey Ryuji, I need you to do me a favor."

* * *

As Yu walked towards Kosei High, he couldn't help but notice that the day was the complete opposite of his mood. The birds were singing, the warmth of spring was in full swing, while a cool breeze was keeping the heat from becoming unbearable, and all the while, the trees began to finish sprouting their leaves. It was tranquil, orderly, and uncaring of the world's problems. As opposed to Yu, whose soul was in disorder because of yesterday's events, his mind spiraling with wild abandon as it thought about all the ways this could end badly for him, and his throat still sore from all the singing he did with Shiho.

The last thought brought a smile to his face, and a little peace to his mind. But when he found himself at the gates of Hifumi's school, both of those vanished. Marching his way up to the roof, he saw the young woman sitting on a block of concrete as she waited, staring blankly into the horizon. He cleared his throat, revealing his presence to her. The shogi player turned to him and gestured to a seat across from her, which he took. Hifumi let out a forlorn sigh as she began the conversation.

"You know, one of the first things my father ever taught me was that violence didn't solve anything. He told me that if I tried to get my way by hurting people, I'd eventually encounter someone stronger than me, and I would be beaten beyond healing. Because of that, he made me promise that I'd do everything in my power to stay away from physical confrontation. I promise I've upheld to this day."

She looked at the game board tucked snuggly away in her backpack.

"But I always enjoyed seeing him do battle, and I always wished it was me who won the glory whenever he was victorious. So I became a shogi player, as a means of honoring my promise, and obtaining the greatness I craved. Father was more than happy to be my mentor and coach, but mother, on the other hand, disapproved. She always encouraged me to instead stay at school and study, rather than 'waste time on a stupid game'. In fact, every time I attempted to make friends or join a club, she'd always discourage it. At first, I thought it was because, like father, she was afraid that the outside world would hurt me, but now I see it's because a shogi girl isn't very profitable or marketable. Now that I know the truth, there were so many signs. So many events and times that I deluded myself into thinking it was for my own good."

Yu noticed Hifumi's grip on her clothes tighten, and her eyes narrowed to a piercing glare, as if she was looking straight at the woman she was talking about; an inferno of fury building behind her emerald orbs. But as quickly as it came, the fire flickered and faded. She turned to make eye contact with Yu for the first time.

"But… I wish to honor my promise to father. And given his critical condition, I've come to a decision regarding your offer. I'm sorry, but you'll have to do it on your own. I won't stop you if you decide to continue your operation, but I'll have no hand in it."

"I understand."

_ Well, on the bright side, she isn't stopping me or the Team. Still, she'd be a big help if she joined. _

"But, there's something you should know." Yu replied as he stood up.

"Roughly a week ago, my Team and I started looking for evidence in real life that your mother wasn't who the world thought she was. She was able to find out about our attempts, and used that knowledge to corner and blackmail me. Because of that, we're going to steal her heart. If you change your mind, then meet us outside your mother's TV studio on Wednesday after school." The teenager informed.

"But, you won't force me to help you?"

"No. We asked you if you wanted to join, and you rejected the request. We're not going to force you to do something you don't want to do."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. And… I hope your dad pulls through. Losing a parent isn't something I'd wish on my worst enemy."

Hifumi smiled at Yu's kind words as he walked off of the roof.

_I am thou. Thou art I. _

_Thou hast acquired a new vow. _

_It shall become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth. _

_With the birth of the _**_Star _**_Arcana _

_Thou hast obtained the blessing that will lead thee to new power. _

Unknown to either of them, Yu had been followed and watched by a certain someone. Once he saw Yu meeting with Hifumi, he left the building, sending only one text:

"Ann, I did what you asked. He was meeting with another girl."

* * *

"Come on Shiho!" Ann cheered as her best friend was set up for another spike, which she delivered with maximum force, making to a boom so loud it could be mistaken for an explosion of thunder. The referee blew the whistle, signaling that it was the end of the game. As Shiho and the rest of her team went to rest, Ann tossed an ice-cold water bottle to the exhausted player.

"You were kicking all kinds of ass today! I'm pretty sure that's a new record for fastest volleyball game." Ann complimented as Shiho took a swig of the refreshing liquid.

"Hehe, thanks." Shiho said, ready to take another swig but stopped when she noticed a mischievous glint in Ann's eyes. A glint that always told Shiho that her closest friend was up to no good.

"Ann…"

"Yes Shiho?"

"What are you up to?"

"Huh?"

"I see that look in your eye. You're up to something."

"Well, I wanted to ask you after the game, but since you figured it out…"

Ann wrapped her arm around Shiho and smiled a wicked smile.

"Soooooo, how'd the date go, huh?" She asked, eager to get all the juicy details.

"It went… fine…" Shiho replied, unsure which words would set Ann off and cause her to scream some untrue statement for all to hear.

"Just 'fine'? That bad huh?" Ann asked, a little disappointed in her friend's answer.

"No, no, it was fun, it's just… some of Yu's personal stuff happened after words, and it really rained on our parade."

"Awww, that sucks. What'd you guys do?"

"Karaoke, mostly. Yu's really bad at it though. Was coughing up a storm by the time we were done, and his voice cracks were hilarious."

"Heh, well I'm glad you had a good time."

"Me too. Here's hoping his home life doesn't ruin it."

"Eh, I doubt it. My intuition tells me that he's a good guy, and it hasn't been wrong yet. He'll take care of you."

"Yea, I know."

"You wanna get a bite to eat?"

"If by 'bite', you mean 'mountains of cake' then no thank you. Some of us don't have the luxury of sugar going straight to the curves that boys like."

"Awww, come on! At least let me treat you for your win! Please?" Ann pleaded, giving Shiho her best puppy eyes.

"Alright fine. The usual place?" Shiho asked, giving in.

"YES! Yea, the usual place." Ann chirped.

"Alright, let me get changed, then we can head out."

Shiho nodded, and the second she was gone, Ann's phone buzzed, as if it was trying to hide and now knew that it was safe to make noise. Ann opened it up and read the text from Ryuji. She grinded her teeth at the message. Her intuition when it came to people hadn't led her astray before, but there was a first time for everything. The device beeped again, like it had sensed her rising anger and wanted to fuel the flame.

Ryuji: There's more. Her name's Hifumi Togo.

Ann: How do you know?

Ryuji: I've been hanging with her. Not like dating, but I like to think we're close.

Ann: How close, exactly?

Ryuji: Very. She's going through a really tough time right now with her mom.

Ann: Really? Does Yu know you have the hots for her?

Ryuji: What?! I never said I have the hots for her!

Ann: Not directly, but I know you too well Ryuji ;)

Ryuji: Back on topic, Yu should know I've been seeing her, since he encouraged me to do it.

This news made Ann's eyes widen. Not only was Yu seeing another girl, but he was seeing one that Ryuji had laid eyes on first. Dick. Move. As she prepared to shoot a text back, she saw Shiho emerge from the locker room. Putting her conversation on hold, she beamed as her friend approached.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Ready." Shiho replied, sporting a smile of her own.

Ryuji: So, um, what are we going to do about it?

Ann pulled out her phone for one last time.

Ann: I have to go for now, but we'll talk about it later.

With that, she put her phone on silent. She wasn't done with this, but she was going to push it out of her head long enough to enjoy spending time with her friend.

* * *

Ryuji read the last text and let out a huge sigh, feeling like he was caught between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, his best friend could potentially be cheating on Shiho with what could only be the only girl that seemed to actually care about him who wasn't Shiho and Ann. But on the other, it could just be a huge misunderstanding, and jumping to conclusions could end his relationship with both people. He let out another heavy sigh, and made a decision. Walking up the roof, he saw that Hifumi was still there, as Yu left a while ago, and she looked… conflicted. The teenager took a deep breath and strolled over to the shogi player.

"Yo." He said, and internally cringed at how meek he sounded.

"Oh. Hey Ryuji. What are you doing here?" She asked, actually getting up to look at him.

"Oh, I just thought that your mom wouldn't let ya go to church anymore, so I figured I'd try my luck here."

"How'd you know that I go here?"

Ryuji did his best not to hide his surprise at the question, and desperately searched for an explanation that didn't make him look like an obsessive stalker. That's when an idea popped into his head.

"Oh, I have a friend in the modeling business; Ann Takamaki. She told me where to find you."

"Oh. Yes, I've heard of her. So, what are you doing here?"

"Checking up on ya. How are things with you and your mom?"

"Well… not pleasant." Hifumi hesitantly answered, unsure of how she'd explain to Ryuji.

"That sucks. I take it asking nicely didn't work out?"

"No, it didn't. And that's not all. My father… father's been admitted to the hospital."

Ryuji's jaw dropped.

"For real? Man, that's awful, I hope he pulls through."

"So do I."

Ryuji took a few steps closer.

"Hey, I know how hard it is. Dad was hospitalized, once upon a time. We had to sell our home to pay the bills, and now we live in a shitty motel. Having a shoulder to lean on helps, trust me."

Hifumi silently nodded, and she decided to take a leap of faith.

"Ryuji… what if I told you I had a way to take down mother? I can't divulge the details, but I think I've found a way to put her behind bars. But, if I do it, it could be the final nail in father's coffin. What… what do you think I should do?"

The question caught the track runner off guard. He put his thumb to his chin, deep in thought, before he gave his answer.

"Honestly? I think you're asking the wrong question. The better one would be what do you want to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, you shouldn't define your life by what your parents want. You're your own person, you should decide how ya live."

Hifumi looked at him like he was crazy, but he kept going.

"Letting someone else decide how ya live is what got ya in this mess to begin with, right? So shouldn't you decide for yourself? I mean, what do you want to do?"

Hifumi said nothing, instead pondering his words.

"Decide for myself…"

Suddenly, Ryuji's phone went off, and he groaned when he saw the caller.

"Ack, my old man wants me to pick up some groceries, I gotta run. But…"

Ryuji pulled out a piece of paper and wrote his phone number on it.

"If you ever need someone to lean on or vent to, give me a call." He explained as the girl took the piece of paper. With that, he took his leave, and Hifumi pondered his words.

"What do I want?" She asked herself, looking at the horizon.

As Yu finished getting dressed in his PJs, his cell phone chimed a special ringtone, one reserved just for the person most important in his life. Picking it up and smiling, he answered.

"Hi dad."

"Hey Yu, how's it going?"

"It's going fine."

"You always say that when things aren't going fine. What's up?"

"I…"

_ I've been blackmailed by a psychotic bitch to get you off her back. _

"I got roped into a hand-to-hand training session with Sae. She hits hard."

"Really? Do I need to intervene? Give her a few 'sessions' myself?" Dojima asked, fury starting to seep into his words.

"No no, you don't. I'm just upset I lost."

"Oh. Wait. You lost? Really?"

"Yea. But on the bright side I managed to get close to her, so it was worth it."

"I see. I'm glad you and her are getting along."

"I am too. What's been going on back home?"

"Ah… not much. Nanko told me that you spoke to Minato?"

"Yea. He seemed… subdued."

"Minato is… blunt and honest. If he ever tells you something, you can bet your life it's the truth, no matter how ridiculous it sounds."

"Really?"

"Yup. When he first got here, and met me, he told me, to my face and in front of Nanako, that I, and I quote, 'Reek of ass'. I smelled my armpits and… well, he was right. Certainly explained why Nanako was keeping her distance that day."

Yu was left with an open mouth, trying to fight a small smirk that was forming.

"Really?"

"Really. Thankfully, he's been a bit more quiet and reserved since then, though if that's because he learned his lesson or because of the murders, I can't say."

"Murders?"

"Yea. There's been two murders so far, and a few kidnappings."

"Well, if you're on the case, it probably won't be long before their caught."

"That's the thing. There's so little evidence it's near impossible to even figure out how they died. But I've got a lead. It's a total longshot, but if I can pull it off, I'm pretty sure I can catch the culprit before you're back."

"You can do it. I know you can."

"Thanks Yu."

Suddenly, Yu thought back to his experience with Mitsuyo.

"Hey dad… have you heard about a woman called Mitsuyo Togo?"

There was a pause, one of silent fury, like a person overhearing other people saying nasty things about them.

"Yu… where did you hear that name?"

"I went on a field trip to her news station, and overheard one of them say 'Dojima's onto us', and I'm just curious."

"Well stay away from her. She's nothing but bad news, trust me. I'd rather you come home alive, thank you very much. Promise me you'll stay out of it this time."

"I promise dad."

"Good. Hey I gotta put Nanako to bed. Stay safe Yu. I love you."

"Love you too."

The tone went dead, and Yu slumped onto his bed. He really hoped they didn't have much more of the Palace to do.


	45. Fresh Blood

Yu and the other members had assembled outside Togo News Station. Or at least, most of them anyway. Morgana was running late on account of getting distracted by something, and Akechi went out to find her, but Yu would bet his right arm that it was sushi. It was always sushi. His train of thought was broken because he heard someone panting and calling his name, and the noise was getting louder. Turning around, he saw Morgana running as fast as her legs would allow, and coughing up a storm when she finally reached them. Walking at a brisk pace behind her was Akechi.

"I'm sorry for being late!" She wheezed out.

"It's alright. Now that we're all here, let's get to work. And hope we don't have much left of the Palace." Yu replied, getting out his phone.

"Hold on, shouldn't we wait for Hifumi?" Shiho asked.

"I already told you, Hifumi said she's not joining us."

"Well, she could've changed her mind." the volleyball player reasoned.

"If she did, she would've been here by now." Akechi pointed out.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you." A voice called out, as if waiting for Akechi to say that.

Everyone turned to the source, and saw none other than Hifumi herself. She was dressed in her usual attire, but something had changed. Her posture, her tone, and her eyes all spoke of unending clarity of what must be done and ironclad conviction to see it through.

"Hifumi? Did you change your mind?" Yu asked, puzzled.

"Yes. I've decided… that I want to see my mother brought to justice, to be free from her influence, and pursue my own dreams. So, I'm coming with you." She proudly declared.

"Alright. In that case, let's get to work." Yu said, happy that she decided to join them after all.

"So… what do we do first?" She asked.

"First, we go in." Yu said, activating the Meta-Nav. The world around them swirled and morphed as usual, and it wasn't long before all of them, Hifumi included, stood inside the Palace, dressed proudly in their Trickster attire.

Music: Hifumi's Palace them

"Alright Hifumi, if you're going to be working with us, you're going to have to learn the ropes. You already know what Palaces and the Metaverse are, so we'll go over what we do." Yu began, turning to their newest member. He began to explain everything Morgana told him before, what Personas are, how he was able to wield multiple, how to go about stealing the Treasure, and so on. It took a good few minutes, but Hifumi was listening intently, like a general weighing the options their advisors had presented.

"And when it's over, the person has a change of heart, and confesses. That about covers it. Any questions?"

"No, but I do have some concerns. My Persona doesn't seem to have any inherently offensive or defensive capabilities, just support. What should I do?"

"Hmmmm… that's a good question. Wait here, I'd like to test something." Yu stated, turning and walking over the bridge. Long after he was out of sight, the Team heard a noise coming from the shogi board Fu Hao held.

"Alright, I should be out of hearing range now. Wonder how I'll be able to signal them?" The Wild Card pondered aloud, though his voice seemed to echo through the piece that was marked as the King, which also glowed with every word.

"Yu? Is that your voice?" Hifumi asked.

"Hifumi? Can you hear me?"

"Yes. You're… you're talking through my shogi board."

"Huh. That's interesting. But if you can hear me, that's great. Hey, send Shiho over. I want to see how far we can push this."

"Alright. On my way." Shiho replied, making her way over the bridge as well. It didn't take long before her voice was also heard, this time through a piece marked "knight".

"Yu? There's something else. The book in Fu Hao's hand… it's drawing something. It looks like… skeletons."

"That's exactly what I'm looking at. Let me know if it's changing."

"It is! Now I'm seeing… a wall?"

"Huh. So apparently you can look through my eyes. That's going to be useful."

"Hey guys, I can hear you just fine." A voice in Yu's head informed.

"Shiho? That you?" Yu asked.

"Yup!"

"So we can hear each other even if we're not close to the board. Perfect. Head back to the others, I'll join you soon."

As Shiho made her way back, she heard Yu's voice in her ears as he explained.

"So, basically, I wanted to see if we could have some kind of long-range communication. Now that I know we do, we can have Hifumi stay in Safe Rooms and provide support from there. The fact that she can also see through my eyes is also a plus."

"I look forward to it. Though I'm curious." Hifumi started.

"Yea?"

"What gave you the idea? Of me being able to communicate like this?"

"Oh, I just figured if I have unique abilities as a Wild Card, you'd have unique abilities with a support Persona."

"I see."

The silhouette of a man appeared before them, and this time, Yu's voice was heard through his lips, not the shogi piece.

"Alright, so now that we've got that all ironed out, let's get to work."

"Wait a moment. We need a codename for Hifumi." Akechi pointed out.

"Oh, that's right!" Morgana exclaimed.

"Codename?" Hifumi questioned.

"Since the Palace is affected by the real world, and vice versa, we don't go around yelling our real names. Helps us avoid complications." Yu explained.

"Ah, that makes sense. What'll mine be?"

"It _has_ to be Shogun. Or Samurai." Shiho suggested.

"Her attire is more ninja-like. Perhaps 'assassin'?" Akechi suggested.

"Uh, no. We have to call her 'mastermind'. Cause she's pretty much the strategist of the group." Morgana retorted.

"Actually, now that I think of it, I already have a nickname." Hifumi said, getting everyone's attention.

"Really? What is it?" Yu asked.

"Venus. It's a nickname the media gave me because of my beauty. I think it's rather fitting that I'm called that if I'm going to tear down mother's empire."

"Alright. Welcome to the Phantom Team, Venus. I'm Seeker."

"Pariah."

"Ace."

"Carmen."

"Thanks for the welcome, I'll try not to let you all down."

"I believe it. Oh, one more thing."

Yu reached into his pocket and pulled out all the Shogi pieces he had collected so far.

"Hold onto these. We're going to need them later."

"Got it. So, where to first?"

Yu pulled out his phone and teleported them to the Safe Room just inside the previously sealed off castle. Leaving through the door, he and the others were relieved to see that the Shadow from before was still gone. Making their way up the floors, they saw that it was a rather small room, and Hifumi let out a gasp.

"That's my room!"

Looking around, they saw that it was decorated with various paintings of samurai armor, and a portrait of Hifumi herself, which Yu guessed was from Yosuke, and a few stuffed toys. But strangely in the center of the room was a mirror. Looking at it closely, there wasn't a reflection, but there were the words 'Hifumi's potential' written above it. Yu looked at the map on his phone. There was absolutely nothing else in the castle, and yet they were missing shogi pieces, and he couldn't shake the feeling the clue laid in the mirror. Pressing his hand against its smooth surface, the mirror rippled as his hand passed through. Pulling his hand out, he looked at his Team, which noticed what he was doing.

"Once more unto the breach." He whispered, stepping in. His eyes widened and he let out a gasp at what he saw. It wasn't long before the others joined him, and they too ogled the sight.

The Tricksters found themselves standing on a cliff. To their right was a staircase carved in stone that led to a tower, while in front of them was the edge that overlooked a wide mountain range and a valley that appeared golden because of the setting sun. But that's not what was the most surprising feature about the landscape. The entire area was flooded by buildings that were in various states of completion, from the highest mountain peak to the lowest point in the valley.

"Are they building a city here?" Shiho asked.

"No. They're building an empire." Hifumi answered.

"The mirror was called 'Hifumi's potential', so it makes sense Mitsuyo would envision an empire. The question now is where do we find the missing Shogi pieces." Akechi pondered.

"Not by standing around. Let's try that thing." Yu replied, turning around and spotting a tower in the distance. But it wasn't an ordinary tower. Unlike the fortress the Tricksters had just left, this tower was both medieval in design, and broken apart with its pieces swirling around, like a vortex trying to magically put it back together. The Team made their way to the foreboding structure.

"And so, ready to do battle, the heroic Phantom Team made their way to the building, unafraid of the perils ahead."

Everyone looked at each other.

"Um, Venus? Was that you?" Yu asked.

"O-oh. Didn't realize I said that out loud. Sorry, when I'm excited I have a tendency to start roleplaying."

"Roleplaying?" Morgana asked as they entered the bottom floor, with the only intact piece of it being a staircase, while pieces of debris were flying close to it.

"It's basically where you play make-believe. Let's see if that doesn't sink under our weight." Akechi replied as a platform began flying close enough for them to get on. Stepping onto it like an escalator, the four didn't fall or crash to their doom, much to their relief.

"How does that work?" Morgana questioned as the platform began to rise.

"Basically people pretend to be something or someone they're not. Like they could pretend to be a secret spy, or a wizard." Yu clarified.

"Ooooooh! What's Venus pretending to be?" Morgana asked as the wooden board began to spin around the tower.

"Yea Venus. What're you roleplaying as?" Shiho asked teasingly.

"A… a queen." Hifumi answered, embarrassed.

"Maybe your codename should've been 'your majesty'." Akechi added with a small laugh.

"You can roleplay, but don't go overboard, alright?" Yu ordered as another platform approached, but when it got closer, they saw a pack of Shadows, who immediately transformed into what looked like a bunch of men in orange jumpsuits and metal wings. The Tricksters immediately summoned their Personas, Yu and Morgana getting onto the Shadow's platform, while Akechi and Shiho were forced to stay behind.

"Power!" Yu called out, removing his mask to give creation to an angel in red armor. Ordering it to attack, it shot out a ray of light, hitting the Shadow, but not going all that much damage to it.

"Damn. I'll have to visit the Room after this." Yu muttered to himself.

"With the blood sacrifice of seventy-two virgins, your queen bestows incredible strength upon thee!" Hifumi declared, grabbing the piece that represented Yu and slamming it down on a square that pulsed red. When she did, Yu suddenly felt a massive surge of power, both in body and in mind. With this newfound strength, Yu ordered Power to attack again, and this time, the holy magics reduced the Shadow to ash.

"Hold up. Where does someone get seventy-two virgins?" Morgana asked as she sliced another Shadow.

"Comic-Con, easily." Shiho responded, Boudicca lighting up another Shadow, while Akechi shot the last one down with his pistol from a distance.

"Focus guys, we're almost at the top." Yu replied as he and Morgana hopped onto another platform.

"Oh come on Seeker, just having a little fun." Akechi said.

"Get the Treasure now, have fun later. One week deadline, remember?"

"Alright, fair point."

With that, Morgana and Yu had reached the top of the tower, one of the two completely stable rooms the tower had. Inside, they saw that there was another portal dead center, but Yu also noticed a shimmering set of doors. After getting the Safe Room marked, Shiho and Akechi had arrived.

"Hey Venus, do you have a map of the area?" Shiho asked.

"Yes, I do. Why do you ask?"

"If the final shogi piece isn't here, then that means it has to be in that massive construction zone. It would be nice if we knew where to look."

"I'm not sure if I have the ability to pinpoint a specific thing."

"I wouldn't worry about it Pariah. If the Palace keeps up its pattern, then we should only have a relatively clear and straightforward path." Yu reassured as he stepped out of the Safe Room.

"Everyone ready to continue?"

"Always." Was Shiho's response.

"Alright then. Once more unto the breach." Were Yu's words as he stepped forward, his team right behind their leader.

Waiting for them on the other side was an extremely blinding light. Shielding their eyes from the lights, the group waited for their eyes to adjust. When it did, they realized the bright light was none other than the sun, and they found themselves in what could only be described as a wooden jungle gym. There were wooden beams and planks everywhere, the bulk of which were covered in some kind of heavy covering. That's when the Tricksters realized where they were.

"We're in the construction site." Yu stated aloud.

"It would appear so. Where do we go from here?" Akechi asked.

"Um guys? The map is only reading one path. And it's a really, really long one." Hifumi informed

"Well, then we'd better get started." Yu answered, turning to Morgana, who blew into her whistle and summoned the Mona-mobile. As they began to drive down, Shiho couldn't help but talk out loud as she looked upon the sea of unfinished buildings.

"Mitsuyo had some big plans for you Venus."

"Her ambition is matched only by her ruthlessness. Whatever plans she has, you can bet they'll involve hurting people. I'd rather not have that happen."

"Still, this must be hard for you."

"It was hard. A part of me still wants to hope that the woman I loved is still here, but that part's getting smaller and smaller. Besides, we're at war. Emotions like remorse and sorrow have no place on the battlefield."

"We've all come from difficult walks of life Venus. We're more than happy to talk and help if you need it." Akechi added.

"Thank you. But let's deal with mother first."

"Speaking of which, it looks like we're here." Yu said as they stopped in front of a series of docks, a number of small ships moored already. Directly in front of them on the water was a giant ship. The ship had sunk, and the bow was the only part still visible, jutting upwards like a mountain, with its name emblazoned in bright orange. The Ami Ito.


	46. The Pieces are in Place

"So, I'm guessing that's where the final pieces are?" Shiho asked.

"Only one way to find out. Let's go." Yu ordered as he got on one of the moored boats.

"Do any of us know how to sail?" Morgana questioned.

"It appears everything's already done for us. Plus, there's a paddle in the ship, if we need it." Akechi pointed out, which was enough for everyone else to get in. Yu undid the line holding the ship in place, and almost immediately it began drifting to the _Ami Ito _, almost as if compelled by an unknown force to approach the vessel. As they approached it, a fog began to seep in, and the light of the sun dimmed, blocked by the boat's imposing figure. The Team arrived at a giant hole in the ship, with the only light now being from within.

"And so, the mighty Phantom Team disembarked. Where others would be frightened off by the ghoulish sight before them, the resolute heroes had wills of steel, and pressed on in their noble quest." Hifumi said, albeit more quietly this time.

Yu surveyed the area. Right now, he and the others were standing a room with water that was only a few inches deep, with broken chandeliers that dimly illuminated the room. But there was something else in the room which disturbed Yu and the others. Hanging from a support beam was a human body with a bag over his head, and on his body the word "Traitor" had been branded on his chest.

"So this barge… is where traitors go to die." Akechi said.

"And aunt Ami must be the biggest traitor in mother's mind." Hifumi added.

"Where do we go from here? I don't see a way up." Morgana pointed out.

"First thing's first." Yu replied as he entered a set of shimmering doors. With the Safe Room marked, he joined the others in brainstorming ideas.

"Think we can make our Personas fly us up?" Yu asked, summoning Izanagi to test his theory. The god grabbed his master, but try as he might, he couldn't get Yu more than a few feet off the ground.

"Alright, that didn't work. Anyone got any ideas?" Akechi asked.

"Yea; we make one." Shiho replied, summoning Boudicca and having her fire at a platform. The result was a great deal of crashing and noise, but when it was over, they had some kind of path upwards in the form of crates and broken boards.

"Well, that works. Let's get going." Yu said, grabbing onto the nearest hanging platform and climbing up that, like he was in a platforming video game, with the others quickly following him up. It wasn't long until he found himself on a walkway that led to an archway which no doubt led further into the ship. But what was strange was the fact that wasn't tilted on an axis like everything else. The others arrived, and also noticed how out of place the even walkways were.

"Shouldn't these be tilted?" Morgana questioned.

"It looks like we're not alone. Stay sharp everyone." Yu ordered.

"I heard something! We may have intruders!" A voice yelled from beyond the archway. A voice that obviously belonged to a Shadow.

"Quick, everyone hang off the edges!" Yu loudly whispered.

"Why? We can take them." Shiho replied.

"We don't know how many there are, and we don't want to get swarmed." Yu replied.

"Fine!"

The Team did as Yu said, and it wasn't long until the Shadow entered. Unlike the others, which had variation of samurai armor, this Shadow didn't have a shirt on, his pants were torn rags, his hands were more akin to claws, and his mask was reminiscent of an Oni, its fangs dripping with blood. It looked around in a way similar to a hound sniffing the air. When it got close enough to the ledge, Akechi reached up and grabbed its leg, pulling it over and sending it plummeting to its death. With the immediate threat gone, they pulled themselves back up and made their way through the archway.

"Holy…" were the first words out of Yu's mouth when he saw what laid before them.

The group was looking at the interior of the ship in its entirety, but the entire hold had been stripped of virtually everything. Instead, all that there was a massive labyrinth of paths, criss-crossing like headphone wires in a person's pocket. Jutting out underneath these paths were wooden beams. Hanging from these beams were bodies, both men and women, some had their guts spilling out, some were hanging from their hands without the lower half of their bodies, but all of them had one thing in common; they all had 'Traitor' branded on their chest.

"Geeze. Where do we even begin with this?" Morgana asked with a heavy sigh.

"Good question. Venus, can your Persona give us a hand?" Akechi asked.

"But of course. I'm trying to map out the correct path now."

"Wait, really? But we don't have a map." Yu replied, pulling out his phone, the static confirming that this area was virtually unknown.

"Guess it's another one of my Persona's abilities."

"That'll save us a ton of time later on!" Morgana exclaimed.

"I'm so glad you joined us." Shiho remarked.

"Alright, we have two paths, left and right. Which one?"

"Left. But there's a Shadow."

"We can take it." Shiho replied, cracking her knuckles.

"Let's not rush blindly." Akechi replied, getting an eye roll from the girl.

Yu led the charge, but since he knew that there wasn't some kind of horde waiting for him, he didn't wait for it to turn around, instead slashing it when it spotted him and charged. The monster dissolved into a puddle and reformed into a cluster of scantily-dressed girls with teal skin. Yu and the others reached to summon the inner selves, but the women proved to be faster, one of them launching an ice attack that knocked Shiho down. Surprised by how fast she went down, Yu didn't call Izanagi, leaving him vulnerable to an attack by another girl. Akechi summoned Robin Hood and tried to fire, but the Shadow he was targeting dodged. The fourth girl charged Morgana, but the Velvet guide dodged out of the way, and used the opening to counterattack with a deep sword strike and a metal pellet to the throat, finishing her off. Yu got up and decided to call upon a different Persona.

"Genbu!"

One of the creatures that they thought way back during the trials emerged next to Yu, and it quickly spewed fire, only to be dodged by its target.

"These bastards are fast." Akechi grunted as Robin Hood let loose an arrow that would again miss.

"Worry not noble archer! Your queen commands forces of immeasurable power!" Hifumi boldly declared, grabbing everyone's respective pieces and slamming them on different positions. A green light engulfed everyone, and suddenly, they all felt lighter on their feet, but their vision was also sharper, more refined, and they felt like they could shoot the wings off the fly. Shiho got up, ready for round two.

"Alright. Let's try this again." Shiho growled, summoning Boudicca and launching an attack for the second time. This time, the assault hit. This time, the Shadow went down. This time, the creature didn't stand a chance. Once she was vaporized, Shiho transferred her power to Akechi, who used it to destroy the third woman. The final one, in a panic, surrendered, and Yu convinced her to join them. With the surprisingly tough battle over, Yu turned to his team.

"Alright. We underestimated the Shadows. Let's try to not do this again."

"Yea." Shiho agreed as Morgana patched them up.

"Thanks for the support Venus. That could've gone much worse without your help."

"Anytime Ace. Oh, and when you arrive at the crossroad, take the one that goes up." Hifumi explained.

The group continued their way upwards, and they came at a crossroads, there were three distinct paths; one went up, one went to the side, and the final one went down and led to a chest. After picking the lock and obtaining the goods inside, which Morgana called a "Goho-M", which could teleport them to a Safe Room, the team continued their ascent, finding remarkably little in the way of security. No traps, no barricades, not even another Shadow. It was just them and the lifeless corpses that occupied the broken barge. Finally, they arrived at another archway, and above this was a sign that read "Captain's Cabin", and from within, they heard groans and wails of agony. Having learned from their previous skirmish, the four quietly entered the room, and saw a man locked in a chair with a basket over his head, and with him was a Shadow that was carving up his skin.

"You will submit to our Shogun, or met a fate worse than death!" It hissed, raising a red hot poker for another strike. Yu rushed towards it, and ripped off its mask, transforming it into a flying black goat with a ball of fire between his horns. The others summoned their Personas, with Akechi leading the attack with Robin Hood hitting it with a ray of light, knocking it down.

"Oh, _now_ it's super easy. All-Out Attack!" Yu ordered, and every member following through, bashing, hacking, and slashing. When it was over, Akechi had a smug look on his face, smirking at how easy the monster had been bested. Only for him to get pulverized a moment later by a sudden blast of curse magic that knocked him back. Yu and the others looked, and the Shadow was still very much alive and kicking.

"How'd it survive that?! An All-Out Attack's our strongest move!" Shiho pointed out.

"Guess it wasn't strong enough. Alright everyone, stand your ground! We can still win this!" Yu replied.

The flying goat flapped his wings just as Akechi got up, and four straw dolls appeared directly in front of each Trickster, and a needle began poking into each. Yu sidestepped his doll as soon as it appeared, but the others were caught of guard by theirs, and when the dolls exploded, Yu realized it was the same move he used on Morooka back at Kobayakawa's Palace, but on a larger scale. Morgana literally vomited blood, Shiho clutched her throat as if she couldn't breathe, and Akechi's eyes rolled into his head as his body fell to the floor. In a single strike, this Shadow had almost completely eliminated the Phantom Team and nearly ended Yu's rehabilitation. The Wild Card knew that he stood no chance alone, so the first thing he did was keep moving, calling upon Izanagi to round up the bodies of his comrades. The goat tried again and again to hit Yu, but the teenager proved to be too illusive. Izanagi told his master that all the other Team members were wrapped up together. Yu made a mad dash towards his friends, and when he arrived at the bodies, he pulled out the Goho-M, slamming the device onto the floor. A bright light emerged from the impact, and it vanished as soon as it came, with the Tricksters vanishing with it.

Yu found himself back in the Safe Room at the bottom of the ship, along with the bodies of Akechi, Morgana, and Shiho. Almost immediately, he summoned a Persona with a healing spell, but the magic proved to be ineffective, the corpses still as lifeless as ever. So Yu went to the next best thing; Morgana's utility belt. Opening up all the pockets, he viciously shook it until all of the contents had dropped out. He frantically searched for something, anything that could help them. Grappling hooks, smoke bombs, lockpicks, and…

"What the hell?"

Yu found a string of beads attached to each other. There were about four of them, and they were teal green in color and big enough to fit in some… naughty places. Izanagi approached them too, just as curious as his master.

"**Are those…**"

"It would appear so. Didn't know Morgana was into that kind of stuff."

As Yu said that out loud, he had a revelation; apparently, Morgana enjoyed these so much that she carried them around even in the Metaverse, so she must have used them plenty of times. And he was touching them. He flung them away at once, and when he did, one bead hit Morgana's face. The bead vanished, sinking into her skin like how a coin would fit into an arcade machine, and the woman's eyes flashed wide open and she gasped for breath, bolting upright lightning quick. She looked around to get her bearings, and once she did, she immediately grabbed the string of the remaining three beads, breaking off two and tossing them to Akechi and Shiho.

The other two Tricksters had a similar reaction, except Shiho clutched her chest and Akechi grabbed his head. Yu let out a sigh of relief. He didn't lose them. Not today.

"Good going Seeker. I'm impressed you knew what the revival beads were, even though I didn't tell you about them." Morgana congratulated.

"Wait? Revival beads?" Akechi asked.

"Yup. Special beads made by Master in case any Trickster fell in battle."

"Oh, that's what they were." Yu muttered.

"Yea. Why? What'd you think they were?" The guide asked innocently.

"Nothing nothing. Why didn't you tell us about these earlier? I would've had less of a meltdown at Shujin Nation if I knew you could bring me back from the dead."

"Well, as you can see, we've only got four. Or one now. Plus, they have to be administered no less than ten minutes after death, before the soul leaves completely. Also, I figured that we wouldn't fight as hard if you guys knew you could get a second chance."

"Makes sense. Why bother getting it right the first time if you could get a do-over?" Akechi replied.

"Is there a way to get more?" Shiho asked.

"I dunno. You'd have to ask Master about that."

"I will when I see him again. But for now, let's focus on beating that thing." Yu replied.

"Good point. We've been able to win decisively so far. What went wrong this time?" Akechi asked.

"We got cocky. When I was starting out in volleyball, there were a few games where I thought 'I don't have to pay attention. We got this in the bag.'. We lost every game that happened."

"Pariah's right. Kobayakawa's defeat made us think we're invincible. Now that we've been reminded that we're not, we ready for round two?" Yu asked, to which everyone gave a resolute nod.

"Perfect. Venus, did you manage to do an analysis?"

"You're in luck Seeker. That thing's weak to holy magic and wind of all things."

"Alright. Here's the game plan. Pariah and I will go in first, grab his attention. Ace, you and Carmen will follow and take turns keeping him down. Don't go for an All-Out Attack, keep him in a corner. While you two are doing that, Pariah and I will hit him with our guns, and use our Personas if we run out of bullets. We're gonna keep it up until that bastard's dead. Any questions?" Yu asked as he finished explaining.

The others looked at him, silent and ready.

"Alright. Then let's get to it."

With that the Phantoms retraced their steps up the tangled paths of wooden walkways all the way back to the captain's cabin, where the Shadow had turned its attention back to the mystery prisoner. As Shiho and Yu prepared to rush in, they heard Hifumi speak.

"By royal decree, this skirmish will end quickly!" She cried, slamming everyone's pieces down on multi-colored squares. They all felt faster, stronger, tougher, like someone had given them all a massive boost to everything they had. Yu looked at his girlfriend, who nodded with a smile, and the two charged.

"Hello asshole! We're baaaaaaack!" Yu yelled as he summoned Izanagi, who unleashed a cleave. The Shadow diverted its attention back to the intruders, only to be knocked down by a gust of emerald wind, followed by two spears of holy light. Shiho and Yu pulled out their respective guns and unleashed a hail of bullets. Yu's strategy had worked perfectly. Between the attack from before and Hifumi's power-up, the Shadow didn't last very long at all, fading to ash before Akechi could get his second attack in. With the threat gone, they all let out a cheer.

"Now that that's over with, let's keep going." Akechi suggested.

"Hold up. I want to see who our mystery prisoner is."

Yu walked up to the man and pulled off the bag. And was greeted with a face that looked almost exactly like his.

"My God." Was all Akechi could say.

The cognitive Yu was missing an eye, his lips were swollen from repeated attacks, his jaw was slack, no doubt because it was broken, his chest had deep cuts, like someone was trying to carve words into his skin, and on his back were leeches, which the Team promptly removed.

"So this is how mother sees you; a helpless prisoner she can torture to her heart's content." Hifumi spat venomously.

"Not only that, but based on the hanging bodies I saw out there, I'd say she'll do more than show Sae what I've done if I don't bend to her." Yu added.

"All the more reason to take her heart." Shiho replied.

"Right. Let's keep moving, can't have too much to go." Yu replied, freeing his cognitive self. Directly ahead was a ladder, which he and Akechi climbed first, followed by Morgana and Shiho. Waiting for them at the top was a single room with the only thing in it was a golden box. Opening it, Yu contacted Hifumi.

"Hey Venus, how many pieces do we need?"

"Let me see… just one actually."

"Ok good. Because that's all I got."

"That's the gyoku. The leader of the armies. The most important piece." Hifumi replied as the book drew a sketch of what he held.

"Alright. Let's all meet up in the Castle Safe Room."

The Tricksters made their way out of the room, back through the ship's main hold, and into the Safe Room. Teleporting back to the room where Kaito and Hifumi were waiting. Placing all of the pieces on their respective board places, Kaito gave a deep and respectful voice. But it also sounded… frail, weak. Like it took everything for him to move his lips.

"Well done. You have earned the right to challenge me. To best me in battle would mean you would have access to the shogun's personal quarters. To fall to me is to forfeit your life. Would you like to play?" He asked.

"Alright Venus. We're in the home stretch. Just need to beat him, and we can finally get to the Treasure and send the calling card."

"Actually Seeker… there might be a problem." Hifumi began.

Yu let out an extremely deep, and annoyed sigh. Hifumi took it as her cue to explain.

"You said that this world was affected by cognition. Well, mother knows of father's prowess with Shogi, and to her knowledge, he cannot be beaten." The girl explained.

"And because she thinks he's invincible, you're afraid that you won't be able to beat him in here, no matter what you do." Akechi finished.

"Precisely. If we're to continue, it'd be best if we did it after she saw me beat him in the real world."

"Can you?"

"I haven't so far. But I know I can. He's been training me since I was a child, and so much is depending on me. I promised to not let you down, and I'm a woman of my word."

"Alright, so tomorrow, you beat your dad in the real world, we send the calling card, you beat your dad in here, and then we steal the Treasure."

"Ummm, I wouldn't recommend that Seeker. Palace security is at its max right before a heist. We can't risk a Shadow interrupting the game." Morgana pointed out.

"Plus, we don't know how long the game will take, or how much more of the fortress we have to go. Better we treat tomorrow as our last day of infiltration." Akechi added.

"But tomorrow's my last free day. If we miss that, then by the next time we can infiltrate the Palace, we'll only have two days before Mitsuyo makes good on her threat." Yu reminded.

"Don't worry Seeker. We'll win." Shiho reassured.

"I know we will. We beat Kobayakawa. We can beat Mitsuyo." Akechi replied.

"If there's nothing else, I advise we leave. It's probably very late in the real world." Hifumi suggested.

* * *

As Yu walked through the streets, he noticed that yet another thunderstorm was brewing. When a lightning strike stuck a nearby antenna, Yu saw something strange out of the corner. Strange, but familiar; the azure glow of the Velvet Room door. The glow was coming from within an alleyway, and there it was, with Caroline sitting at the top of its frame, dangling her feet without a care in the world. When Yu approached, she quickly turned her head towards him and smiled.

"There you are inmate."

"Hey Caroline. Why are you here? In the real world, I mean?"

"Master has decided to extend the list of places where you can access the Velvet Room's services, especially if you're going to be traversing both Palaces and Mementos. Now get in. My sister and I have something to discuss."

With that, the door opened just as Caroline jumped off her perch, and before Yu could react, she literally kicked his butt, forcing him in. Once again in the Velvet Room, his clothes changed to his prisoner outfit, and Caroline managed to get in without having to walk through his cell. Inside the Room, Igor was nowhere to be seen, and neither was his desk, with only the twins occupying the space. Justine began the conversation.

"You're probably wondering why we asked you here."

"Well, it was more like 'forced' but yea, I am."

"We have a request for you inmate!" Caroline replied, standing at attention.

"Oh joy." Yu said, rolling his eyes.

"After we helped you with your courting attempts, we decided it's only fair you return the favor." Justine continued.

_ 'Helped' _

"That favor is simple; you are to bring us artifacts from your world!" Caroline finished.

"Um… what? Why?"

"It's been a tradition of the Velvet Room Attendants to receive glimpses into the waking world. It's interesting to see how humanity has changed." Justine lied.

"Alright, fine. What do you want?" Yu asked.

"Some form of entertainment from your world. It can be a movie, video game, or manga." Caroline answered.

"Alright fine."

"Excellent. Now that that's out of the way, do you have any other business in the Velvet Room?" The attendant asked.

"Actually yes. I need some Personas fused."

* * *

With some new creatures to arm himself with, Yu quickly made his way back into the apartment complex, lazily stumbling his way into his current home, and he was very surprised to see Makoto waiting for him.

"Makoto? What are you doing up so late?"

"Waiting for you, actually."

"Why?"

"Well, for starters, you're up far past curfew. Eleven PM. Tsk tsk tsk." She scorned, shaking her head.

"What do you want?"

"First, what were you doing up so late?"

"I was… helping Akechi with something."

"With what exactly? It wouldn't happen to have something to do with the thugs from when you first got here?"

"Who? Oh… no, this is completely different. He thinks it's a lead on a case he's been working on, but it could also be a wild goose chase, so he doesn't want Sae involved."

"I see. I'll have to check with him then. Now, as for why I stayed up so late for you."

Makoto fidgeted about, as if trying to figure out how to best say.

"If it isn't too much trouble, I'd like to come with you next time you go to work for Sis."

"Really? Why?"

"Well… we… we haven't really had too much time to ourselves. And since you've been here… you've had more time with her than I have in the past three years combined."

"Alright sure. But just so you know, it's not my choice to spend time with her."

"Oh I know. But still." Makoto replied, a bit forlorn in her tone.

"Yea sure, you can come. Though whether Sae-san lets you stay or not I don't know."

"That's fine. And thank you." The teenage girl replied with a warm smile, which Yu returned before going inside his room. The teenager had stripped off his clothes, ready to change and go to bed. But the moment he opened his drawer to pull out some pajamas, he heard a crack of thunder, and he knew Makoto heard it too. Knowing what was to come this time, Yu prepared himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a very specific costume. Something that he knew would embarrass him to no end, but at the same time, would calm her down to no end.

"Y-Yu?" Makoto's voice squeaked from beyond the closed door. Her volume was down compared to last time, but Yu could still hear the desperation in her voice. Grabbing what he saw and putting it on, he went over to the door.

"I'm here!" Yu replied, flinging it open.

Tears were starting to form in Makoto's eyes, but those quickly vanished the moment she saw Yu. In his panda costume.

"Pffffft…. HAHAHAHA!"

Makoto burst out laughing, pointing a wobbly finger at the man standing before her. She clutched her stomach as she barreled over, gasping for air and wheezing the whole time. Under normal circumstances, he'd either be embarassed or furious, but for now, he was just glad she wasn't hurting. A sudden boom of thunder rippled throughout the room, and Makoto covered her mouth with her free hand, as if she was told to stop laughing by Sae, and she had to suppress the giggles.

_ So apparently her laughter can override her PTSD. That's very interesting. _

Another crack of thunder, and Makoto's laughing fit started to subside. The phone rang, and Makoto raced to pick it up.

"Hey Sis. Don't worry, I'm fine." Makoto answered hastily, knowing who was calling and why.

"Narukami was ready this time?"

"Yes."

Makoto began to snicker.

"Sis… he's wearing his panda costume!" She said with a snort.

"Really? Well, I'm just glad you're alright Makoto."

"Don't worry Sis. I'll be fine."

"Alright then. I trust Narukami will stay with you until you go to sleep?"

"If it comes to that, sure." Yu answered.

"Alright. Good night Makoto."

"Hey Sis, wait!" The teenager implored.

"What is it?" Sae replied, alarm clear in her tone.

"Is… is it alright if I come with Yu-kun to work with you next time he goes?"

"You want to visit me at work? Why?"

"Because… I hardly ever spend time with you. And this could be our only chance."

"… Fine. But only if you have all your homework done."

"I will! Thank you so much Sis!" Makoto replied.

"Good night Makoto." Sae repeated, hanging up this time.


	47. Wingman

Yu found focusing this time during classes around much easier. Maybe it was because Kawakami suddenly had massive energy today. Maybe it was because he had pulled off a successful heist before. Or maybe it was both. But whichever reason, he was able to do much better in school and regular life then the time he was forced into a deadline by Kobayakawa. During lunch, the first thing he did was send a text to Hifumi.

Yu: So how long do you think it'll be until you can change your mother's cognition?

Hifumi: Visiting hours for the hospital are over for today. Plus my mom is a very busy.

Yu: Can you do it before the week's up?

Hifumi: I can, don't worry.

Yu: Good, good. We need to take the Treasure as soon as possible.

Hifumi: I know what's at stake, don't worry. But in the meantime, do you happen to have free time right now?

Yu: Yea. Why?

Hifumi: Come by the church. There's something I need to show you.

Yu: On my way.

* * *

After Yu got inside the church, he found that only Hifumi and the priest were there, and the new Phantom had already set up a Shogi board, and was waiting for him, like a teacher ready to give private lessons to a student. She gestured for him to sit, which he did, and she cleared her throat.

"So, last night, a certain scenario had popped into my head; what would happen if the Team was somehow separated from me?"

"I imagine we'd be fine. I mean, we were able to do well enough with Kobayakawa."

"True, but there's always a chance to improve. So, I've decided I'm going to take time to help you improve in strategy."

"Except this is a board game, which is very different from real life."

"Also true. But it can give you ideas."

"What if I say no?"

"Then when one of our team members is lying dead because of your stubbornness, I'll say 'I told you so'. That good enough?" Hifumi replied with a small twitch in her eye.

_ Holy shit, that escalated quickly. _

"Ok, ok, fine, I got nothing better to do. Where do we begin?"

* * *

It had taken a few hours of Hifumi explaining the rules of Shogi, but once Yu had grasped the basics, he and Hifumi decided to play a few games. Which Yu had lost completely and so badly that apparently even Ryuji did better when he first started out. Of course, Yu didn't let it get to him… too much. After all, he was good when it counted; in the middle in combat, and he emerged from the defeats with Hifumi smarter, and some of those maneuvers could come in handy in battle. Lost deep in thought, he didn't watch where he was going and accidentally bumped into someone.

"Sorry sir, that was my… Ryuji?" Yu asked.

"Oh hey man. Whatcha up to?" The delinquent asked.

"Nothing much, just… got a lot on my mind."

"That goes for everyone else."

"True. What about you? On your way to see Hifumi?"

"Yea."

"Alright, I'll be on my way then. Sorry for bumping into you." Yu finished, continuing on his way.

"Hey hold up." Ryuji called, running after his friend.

"What is it?"

"What were you doin' with Hifumi yesterday at her school? I went there to check up on her." Ryuji asked, his innocent expression trying to mask his accusatory tone.

"Oh, nothing really. We just… talked."

"The two of you were alone together…"

"Yup."

"And all you did was talk." Ryuji said, making it clear he didn't believe Yu.

"Yea. She had a lot to say about you."

Ryuji's eyes widened.

"Really? What'd she say?"

Yu's mouth turned upwards into a smirk.

"You should ask her yourself."

Yu began to walk away, but Ryuji called out to him once again.

"Hey hold up!"

The teenager ran to the Wild Card.

"As someone who already has a girlfriend… any advice on how to ask a girl out?"

Yu's jaw dropped.

"No way… you have a crush on Hifumi?"

"Agggh, yea. Kinda worried though I'll look like a moron for askin'. I mean, she's smart, a model, and has a ton of cash. I can't really give her anything. I ain't sure it'll work out between us."

"If you don't know what to give, just give her love."

"... _Huh _?"

"Right now, her home is in turmoil. Her father's in the hospital, and her mother is not the shining model of what a parent is supposed to be. Right now, I'd say she needs support. You can give that, can't you?"

"Well… maybe…"

"Ryuji, you let me spend 10,000 of your yen on ramen just to let me know I wasn't alone when it came to dealing with Kobayakawa. If you care about her, then I know you'll do more than that."

"So… what are you saying?"

"I'm saying go for it. Don't waste time on 'what ifs'."

"Alright. Yea. I'm gonna do it! Wish me luck."

"Good luck Ryuji. You got this!" Yu cheered as his friend went into the church, while he himself continued home. The blonde-haired boy walked in just as the girl he was looking for was already about to leave. She had a brief look of surprise, but it turned into a look of happiness.

"Ryuji! It's nice to see you."

"Yea, same here Hifumi. Hey, I um… I gotta ask ya something."

"What?"

"So… I know that this might be a bad time, but… you wanna go on a date?"

Hifumi looked at him with a blank stare at first, then she had a look of 'Really? That's the best you had?' Ryuji took it as his cue to explain, his heart starting to pound at the idea that he screwed up.

"Yea, I know it's a shit time with all that's goin' on, but I just thought, well, uh… maybe you could use a break, ya know? Escape all the crap that's going on. If ya don't, that's ok, I get it, but if you're good with it…" He trailed off.

Hifumi raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you want to date me?" she questioned with suspicion in her tone.

"Well, because… because I see the crap you're in, and I'm reminded of what happened when dad was in the hospital. Ann and Shiho, my two only friends, didn't talk to me because they thought I needed space, but I needed a way to vent, something to hit, someone to talk to, or shit like that. I don't wanna repeat their mistakes. Plus, hanging around you is fun. Even if you always put down my peasant revolts, I still have a good time playing with you. Also, you're the only girl that doesn't mind me being weird sometimes."

"That's it?"

"Yea… yea, that's all I can think of." Ryuji replied meekly.

Hifumi rubbed her arm and cast her gaze to the floor.

"Ryuji… I appreciate the sentiment… but I can't. Not yet. Once this business with my mother is concluded, perhaps we can start to get to know each other better. But for now, I just can't. I'm sorry."

Ryuji glanced at the floor in defeat. True, he knew this was a possibility, but it still hurt. But he had to look on the bright side; hopefully the Phantom Team was hard at work stealing Mitsuyo's heart. As Hifumi left, she turned around to talk to Ryuji once again.

"And Ryuji?"

The delinquent turned to her.

"I'm glad you don't mind me being weird too."

Ryuji gave a small smile and nodded as he left. And he couldn't shake the feeling that neither Hifumi nor Yu were telling him everything.

* * *

With his business with Hifumi concluded, Yu first went to a nearby store and bought himself the five seasons of BroBro's Bizarre Adventure, as well as a DvD to play them on. Once he did that, he stuffed them in his bag, ready to be delivered next time he met the twins. But as he made his way through the subway, he heard a voice call out to him by his side.

"Excuse me Narukami-san, do you have a moment?"

Turning, he saw that none other than Yusuke approaching him.

"I do. What's up?"

"Have you, by chance, heard of the art exhibition being held?"

"No, I haven't. I've been busy."

"I understand. I'm not mad at you for taking Hifumi's case seriously. But, if you have the free time, I'd like to take you there."

"I'm free now."

"Oh, wonderful! Come, I need to show you the work I submitted to the exhibition."

Yusuke lead the way, borderline running through the throngs of people, and Yu had to admit his curiosity was peaked. He'd seen what Yusuke could do with a few minutes of sketching, and he certainly wanted to see what the skinny teenager could do with a ton of time on his hands. Making their way through, Yusuke was able to get by the guard without paying the entry fee by telling him who he was, and that Yu was his friend. Once inside, Yu noticed how packed the place was, and how diverse the art pieces were. Inside there were sketches, water colors, cell shades, negative space works, and that was just the techniques. As for what the subjects of the artwork were, Yu saw landscapes, abstracts, portraits, among others.

"This way my friend."

Yusuke guided Yu to where the crowds were thickest, crowded around a rather large painting.

"I have you to thank. Normally, I stick to abstract concepts, but I could not find inspiration for anything else. I hope you don't mind."

Yu got close to the painting and his eyes shot wide open. The painting in question was of him. He was mounted on top of a horse, in a traditional samurai's armor, his sword pointing away from him, as if he was signaling a charge. His expression was the same hardened look Yusuke captured back when they first met. The people around him gave various amounts of praise, from the form, the composition, and of course, the subject himself. And a lot of the girls were remarking about how cute he looked.

"What do you think?" Yusuke asked, pleased with himself.

"It's very good." Yu admitted.

"I'm happy you approve." The artist beamed.

"But I really wish you'd ask for permission first."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Yusuke, while the painting is nice, I really don't feel comfortable with my image becoming public."

_ The last thing I need is a group of fangirls stalking me while I'm trying to steal hearts _

"O-oh. I'm sorry Narukami-san. It wasn't my intention to make you uncomfortable."

Before Yu could grill him further, a man approached them.

"Excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear. You're Yusuke, right? The same man who created this beautiful piece in front of me."

Both teenagers turned to face the man, who was standing tall and proud as he evaluated the two, more so Yusuke than Yu. The blue-haired student gave a curt nod.

"I am."

"I'm Akiko Kawanabe. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." He replied, handing him a business card, which Yusuke took carefully.

"The pleasure is all mine." Yusuke replied.

"I came to this exhibition in search of talent, and I believe I've finally found it. Young man, I'm offering you an opportunity, to become known across the world. I'm willing to be your patron, to help you grow, both in skill and reputation as an artist."

"Reputation?"

"Yes, reputation. My organization, the Japanese Art Support Foundation, was founded for the purpose of finding young and talented artists, and help them make a living out of it. I would like for you to join us, so that we can help you like we have so many others."

"I… I don't know what to say."

"That's fine. For now, I would like you to think on it. When you've decided on an answer, call me."

And with that, Akiko gave a small nod and walked away. Yusuke turned to Yu, confusion evident on his face.

"I must admit, I'm at a loss. I didn't expect something like that. What… what do you think I should do?" Yusuke asked.

"I think you should see if he's willing to at least let you get a taste of the life he's offering. If you don't think you're cut out for it, then see if you can back out. And if you do like it, then you can take him up on his offer."

"I see. I'll take that into consideration. Thank you."

"No problem. I'm going to head back now, but…"

Yu looked around for more evesdroppers.

"Once this is exhibition is done, I'd like that painting in my room."

Yusuke gave a gentle grin, reading the address.

"Of course."

And with that, Yu turned on his heel and left.


	48. Going to the Big Leagues

With the next day, classes passed by without much incident. He had answered yet another question, and just as always, people murmured about how he could have gotten it right.

_ I've gotten every question right ever since day one like I had the answers on a computer. Why are you all so surprised? _

The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. The teacher announced what homework they had to do, but the students more or less already committed it to memory. As Yu began to leave, he felt his phone vibrate and checked the message. It was from Hifumi.

Hifumi: Alright. I went to check on dad yesterday. He's conscious, and he's able to hold complete sentences, so I'll be able to play with him soon.

Yu: That's awesome. The sooner the better.

Hifumi: True. I told mom to meet us at the hospital, but considering how busy she is, there's no guarantee she'll be there.

Yu: Do what you can. We need to steal her Treasure.

Hifumi: I know. I won't let you down.

Before Yu could continue, he got a sudden text message from Futaba.

Futaba: Hey, I got good news for you!

Yu: Did you rig the lottery so that I could win?

Futaba: No. But that's a REALLY good idea! The news is, dad's feeling under the weather, so you don't have to come to work today!

_ Of course the one time my friends twisted my arm about taking time off infiltration because of my other obligations, Sojiro goes and gives me free time. _

Yu: Awesome.

Futaba: It also means I'm free!

Yu: Cool.

Futaba: Come by the arcade! There's a ton of cool games to play!

Inwardly, Yu groaned, but at the same time, how could he say no? The Team was off doing their own business, and he certainly didn't have anything planned.

Yu: Is it the one on Shibuya's main street?

Futaba: Yep yep!

With no more reason to stay in school, Yu hopped onto the train to Shibuya and quickly made his way to main street, determined to find a small girl with orange hair. Sure enough, he found her right where she said she would be; outside the arcade. She jumped up and waved frantically at him, like he was a ship and she was stranded on an island. When he approached, she beamed at him.

"You made it! Ready to have some fun?"

"You bet."

The two walked into the arcade. The place was full of a wide variety of people, from preschoolers to adults, to even some students from Shujin. Those people in particular gave Yu the stink eye, which intensified when they saw Futaba with him. After some wandering around, they found a free game called 'Gun About'. Yu's companion, who had taken the liberty of buying coins while she waited for him, slotted them into the machine, and selected co-op.

Yu had played more than his fair share of video games, so he wasn't a complete novice at it. In fact, the first few levels were so easy, he even turned the plastic gun to the side, like he had seen in some gangster movies. Over time though, as the levels got harder, he had to take it more seriously, but Futaba wasn't doing the same. In fact, she was drawing a crowd from how into it she was, screaming bloody murder and laughing when she got an epic power up. In time, however, they both eventually lost all their lives, and spent all their coins. Yu thought for sure that they had at least made it to the top ten, but they didn't even get to the top thirty. When he told Futaba about how that was total bullshit, she simply shrugged, but looked happy regardless.

"I'm not surprised, Gun About's the most popular game in there, and there's no way we'd be able to even come close to the King."

"The King?"

"The King of the 'Kaid. He holds the top scores of all the games both in here and every other arcade."

"Yea, that sounds a little far-fetched for me."

"That's because you haven't seen him in action. I went up against him more than a few times, and each time I cheated. Lag spike, improved weapons, but nothing short of invincibility could make me beat him, and even that took hours. Trust me, we never stood a chance."

The two of them walked outside. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon.

"But that's fine by me! I haven't had that much fun in years!" Futaba declared, stretching her arms.

"Do Sojiro and Wakaba take you to the arcade often?"

"No. It used to be we'd go to all sorts of places all the time. The movie theater, the carnival, and here. But we haven't done anything. Not since…"

Futaba looked at the ground, her previous enthusiasm gone.

"Not since mom's back was broken."

Yu was silent, only giving a small nod to show that he had heard her. Kobayakawa may be gone, but the damage he wrought would live on. Futaba looked back at her, a small smile etched on her face.

"Thanks for doing this Yu. It means a lot."

Yu clasped his hand on her shoulder.

"Anytime Futaba. Anytime."

* * *

Yu ran at breakneck speed back to his school. He and Futaba continued talking for awhile, and eventually, the topic of school and homework came up. A conversation that reminded Yu that he had left some very important papers back at school, hence why he was now running at breakneck speed back to his school. If he was lucky, some after school clubs would still be going, and he would be able to go inside, grab his stuff, and get out without issue.

Arriving at Shujin Academy, he found that his plan was a partial success. The school doors were locked, which meant there was nobody else in there. However, Yu refused to let this stop him, lock picking the door, getting the papers he needed, then getting out. But when he got out, he saw a girl run past the front gate, and right towards him. A girl in a torn dress and was sobbing uncontrollably. Yu immediately made his presence known to her, and she stopped, looking directly at him. The first thing he noticed were how puffy and red her eyes were, her hazel brown hair, now disheveled and messy, but above all else, the feature that identified her was her massive forehead.

"Haru?"

"O-oh, I'm sorry Yu-kun. I… I came to check up on my plants." The girl replied meekly, her once smooth voice now raspy and scratchy, like she hadn't had a drop of water for days.

Yu was about to call out her pathetically weak excuse of why she was here, when he suddenly heard the real reason off in the distance.

"Come on! The slut went this way!"

Yu stepped in front of her, like a protective wall.

"Get to the roof, lock the doors, and don't open them for anything except three knocks. Do you have your phone on you?"

"Y-yes."

"Call the cops if you don't hear me check up on you in ten minutes. Now go."

Haru didn't need to be told twice. Entering through the main doors, they shut just in time for three sleazy looking punks to dart around the corner. Yu grabbed his papers, and tried to act natural. If he was lucky, he would be able to pass it off as him just leaving the school. The three turned their eyes on him, hunger evident in their eyes.

"Hey you! You see some hot chick in a torn dress come by here?" The first one asked.

"Nope. Just left the school for some papers." Yu replied calmly.

"That's a load of bull." The second one exclaimed.

"It's true. I would've remembered a girl in a torn dress."

"Yea we know. Which is why we know it's bull that you didn't see her. Let's stop wasting time with this idiot. There's only one place she could've gone; inside the school. Let's go!" The third one ordered.

_ I knew it was a long shot, but I was hoping it wouldn't come to this _

Yu held out an arm and stopped one of the thugs trying to get past.

"You're not going in there."

The three backed up, 'ooooooooo'ing all the way.

"Looks like we got ourselves a hero. Hey kid, you know what happens to heroes?" The first asked, smiling maliciously.

_ All too well _

"You're. Not. Going. Not while I'm still breathing." Yu repeated.

"Fine by us." The first guy replied, pulling out a revolver and pointing it right at Yu's face, who fought the urge to cave to fear. While he stared them down, his hand snaked its way to his pocket, where his phone rested.

_ If I can get us into the Metaverse, I can end this easily. I don't like the idea of bringing scumbags like these in there, but I don't have a choice. _

If the three of them were unarmed, Yu would take his chances using his experience and Sae's training, but it would take only one lucky bullet to put him down, and Haru was going to get caught.

"Just give her up kid. She ain't worth it." The second thug replied.

"She's worth it to me." Yu growled, the App almost open and Izanagi starting to stir.

"Fine. Ice him." He ordered, but before either Yu could open the App, or the goon could pull the trigger, a shrill voice pierced the air.

"STOP!"

All four of them swiveled their heads to the source of the noise, and there, poking her head out of a window, has Haru, waving her phone around like it was the most amazing thing in the world.

"I've already called the cops! Leave now, and that'll be the end of it!" She ordered.

The three crooks, and Yu himself, went pale at the threat of the police. The teenagers' opponents looked amongst themselves and then proceeded to run as fast as they could. Yu turned back to Haru, while also sending Izanagi out to make sure they didn't try to come back.

"You alright?" He shouted to ensure she heard him.

"I am now! Come up to the roof, the doors are unlocked!" She shouted back, her head going back into the walls of Shujin Academy.

Yu walked up the stairs to the makeshift garden Haru made. The rich highschooler had tried to make herself presentable, but it was almost impossible with disheveled hair and a torn dress.

"Hey, um… are the cops really coming?"

"Oh no. That was a bluff. I began to run up the stairs when I heard a gun glock, and looked out through one of the windows. When I saw what was going on, I decided to try and threaten them with the police, when in truth, my phone battery had been dead for awhile now, otherwise I would've called them sooner."

"Yea, thanks for that. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't stepped in."

"You strike me as a resourceful person Naru-chan. I'm sure you could've done something against those ruffians."

Yu let himself laugh at Haru's description of them.

"Yea. Speaking of which, why were they after you?"

Haru shuddered at the question, and wrapped her arms around her, looking off into the distance, where the sun had completely sunk beneath the earth.

"Well, you could've gotten hurt by trying to defend me, I suppose you deserve to know why."

She took in a deep breath, partly because she was going to tell a long story, and partly to give herself strength.

"Are you aware of my father's company, Okumura Foods? The ones behind Big Bang Burger?"

"You guys made that? Huh. Good food."

"I'm glad you think so. My father, grandfather, and great grandfather all believed in putting the customer first, and held the belief that if they treated their employees well, the company would be treated well in return."

"But… that's not the case?"

"Not completely. Don't get me wrong, profits are in, but between quality assurance and the benefits we provide to our employees, our company hasn't had the growth it used too. Because of that, the investors are beginning to pull out, and the company may soon start the downward spiral that leads to bankruptcy."

"And where do the thugs fit in all of this?"

"I'm getting there. See, father believes that the only way to get some fresh money and encourage investors again is to merge Okumura Foods with another company. And the best way for that to happen is by marriage."

"He's marrying you off?! Selling you like a hunk of meat?!" Yu asked, feeling his anger rising.

"I gave my consent. It was the only way he'd move forward with it. Tonight was the night I was supposed to meet my betrothed at a ball; a man older than me by the name of Sigumura."

Haru's lip began to tremble, and fresh tears began to spring up from her eyes. She took in a loud lungful of air.

"He started out charming and kind enough. But he began to drink some champagne, and after that…"

She began to sob, and Yu placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. After a few seconds of crying, Yu wiped the tears away, and Haru felt her resolve harden.

"After that, he took me to a bedroom, and began to grope me, all while whispering in my ear how he'd love to… 'fuck that tight cunt of yours until it bleeds'. I tried to get him to stop, but it only seemed to encourage him. He started to undress me, and that was when I decided enough was enough. I ran, and he tore my dress trying to hold me back. I ran out of the room, out of the building, and I heard him yell at those three to bring me back. I don't even know how long I ran until I got here."

She gave her friend a small, sad smile.

"Thank you, by the way. What about you? What were you doing here?"

"Afraid that's story's a lot shorter. Homework." Yu replied, holding up the papers he'd retrieved. The answer made Haru giggle.

"Of all the nights to forget homework."

"Yea. But I'm glad it was tonight. And hey, look on the bright side; now it's over."

Haru's expression darkened.

"No it's not. I'll have to explain to father how I got into this state. And then there's Sigumura. I have no idea how he'll react to all this."

Yu cursed himself. She was right, this was far from over.

"Want me to walk you home? There's bound to be all kinds of nasty assholes out there."

"You'd know more than I Naru-chan. But no, my house is a rather long walk from here. Give me your phone, I'll take care of it."

Yu did as his senpai instructed, and when she was done, she handed it back to him. He looked to see what message she sent.

Yu: Noir. At Shujin.

Unknown Number: To whomever owns the phone Okumura-sama just borrowed, please stay with her until I arrive.

"Who'd you send a text to?"

"My butler, Max Worthypenny. When I was younger, I'd lose my phone all the time, so the two of us decided that if I was to ever contact him on another's phone I was to say 'Noir', followed by the message."

"Should've known you had a butler. What are you gonna tell him?"

"I don't know. As much as I'd like to call off the marriage with Sugimura after what happened, I don't think father will oblige. I already gave my consent, and father has already made plans with Sugimura's. It'll take a lot for him to break the engagement and be shamed before the corporate world."

Suddenly, an idea flashed in her mind.

"Naru-chan, do you think you could share your contact info with me?"

"Sure." Yu replied.

"What do you need it for?" He asked as they input their data into each other's phone.

"I have an idea, but I'll need some time to iron out the details."

Suddenly, they heard tires screech and horns honk in the background.

"And that would be Max. Come on, let's go downstairs." She replied, far better now than she was moments ago.

The moment they descended the stairs, a limo appeared seemingly out of nowhere and screeched to a halt in front of the entrance. From the driver's seat emerged an old man who clearly was from overseas, his balding head and wrinkled face showing off his western features proudly. His eyes locked on Haru. Sprinting forward, he gave her a hug that lifted her up.

"Okumura-sama! Your father and I have been so worried about you! What happened?"

"I went outside for a breath of fresh air, and a group of ruffians saw me and decided to try and… 'have some fun' with me."

"Do you remember their names, or what they look like?"

"No, I was so caught up in trying to get away. I tripped, and they surely would've gotten to me… if it weren't for Naru-chan here."

"Naru-chan?"

"Yu Narukami sir." Yu introduced himself, giving a deep bow.

"Narukami? I swear I've heard that name before. Well, regardless, you have my thanks for keeping Okumura-sama safe." The elder man thanked, giving Yu a bow.

"Anytime." Yu replied with a gentle smile.

"Now then, Okumura-sama, let's go home."

"Yes. Let's." Haru said, before turning to Yu and planting a quick kiss on his cheek. With both her savior and her butler stunned by the action, she went into the limo and gave a quick giggle as she closed the door. Max looked between both Yu and where Haru was seated, then back to Yu again. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh and entered the limo, driving off at a much safer speed than when he came. Yu, however, knew that the Niijimas would have his hide if he didn't get back soon, and so, just like when he came to Shujin, Yu ran at break-neck speed back to his home. So focused on getting home, that he didn't know that Hifumi sent him a text.

Hifumi: I did it.


	49. Family Matters

Hifumi found herself feeling nervous by what she was about to do. Her father laid beside her, still as weak, but determined as ever. His eyes, half opened, shone when he saw her, and his mouth forced itself to smile. Her hands tightened around the shogi board she brought with her.

"Hifumi. I'm glad you came to see me." He rasped.

"Hello father. I… have a favor I'd like to ask you."

"If it's within my power, then I will do so."

"I… I need you to let me beat you at shogi."

He looked at her with a puzzled look on his face.

"Let you? Do you think you can't beat me with your own talents?"

"No, I fully believe I can. It's just… I think I found a way to make mother pay for her crimes. I can't explain it, but I need you to let me beat you, and for mother to see that."

"Why?"

"I can't explain it. Just… trust me. Please."

The shogi champion looked at her with an inquisitive look on his face. Finally, he gave a small nod, and Hifumi got to work. She had sent a text to her mother awhile ago, telling her that father had something important to tell her. Thanks to Mitsuyo's reply, Hifumi knew that she would be here, and the girl wanted to be ready. So rather than waste time playing a rigged game, she set up the pieces so that she automatically had victory. Her father looked at her with a smirk.

"Really sweetheart? You could at least make it look like I put up a fight."

Hifumi returned the smile, but knew that when she inevitably had to fight cognitive Kaito, his skill would probably be based on what her mother saw. If she gave the depiction that she won by the skin of her teeth, she could very well still lose. But if Mitsuyo saw that her husband lost totally to her daughter, then the cognition would adjust accordingly.

"I know father. But it needs to be like this."

"So what happens now?"

"Now… we wait for mother. When she asks what news you have for her, tell her that I finally managed to defeat you."

As if on cue, Mitusyo was led into the room by a doctor. She gave a sweet smile that once warmed Hifumi's heart, but now fills it with unbridled anger.

"Hello sweetheart. Hifumi, I didn't know that you'd be here."

"On the contrary, she's the reason I wanted you here."

"Oh really? Why? Did she finally find a boyfriend?"

"No, not that I know of. Look darling. Look at this." Kaito said, gesturing to the board in front of him. Mitsuyo looked, and lo and behold there it was.

"Our daughter finally bested me. And so thoroughly too. I'm so proud of her."

"That's… wonderful. But is this really the main reason why you brought me here?" Mitsuyo asked, annoyance starting to bubble to the surface.

"Yes, it is. Isn't this a good thing?"

Mitsuyo pinched the bridge of her nose and let out an exasperated sigh. She didn't even try to hide the disappointment.

"Honey, it's great that Hifumi was able to beat you in that little game you two love, but I'm very busy. I can't drop everything for something like this. Next time there's an emergency, it had better affect me, the company, or all of us."

With that, the business woman turned on her heel and left. But Hifumi smiled, despite the harsh tone her mother used. The damage had been done. The stage had been set. With that in mind, she thanked her father, and sent a text to her leader.

Hifumi: I did it.

* * *

Yu plopped himself down onto his bed, having finished writing down the latest entry in his fake diary. With that, and his homework done, his belly full of Makoto's food, he made one last check at his phone before changing and going to bed. What he saw made him smile.

Yu: Awesome. That means we can resume our infiltration.

Hifumi: I know. Looking forward to it.

Suddenly, an idea popped into the Trickster's head.

Yu: Actually, I got another idea. Are you available for Sunday afternoon?

Hifumi: Yea, I'm free. Why?

Yu: Because I want to scope out what we have left. Just the two of us.

Hifumi: Are you sure that's a good idea? What if there's Shadows?

Yu: Depends. If there's not that much, I'm sure I can deal with them alone. But I start to get overwhelmed, then we'll fall back and bring the rest of the team. But considering how close we'll be cutting the deadline, I want to make sure we get as far as we can.

Hifumi: … Alright. What time?

Yu: 2 PM. Don't want our respective guardians to get suspicious.

Hifumi: See you then.

* * *

Yu found himself disappointed that LeBlanc couldn't be closed a second time. According to Futaba, Sojiro absolutely refused to let a nasty fever keep him down and his cafe closed. Wakaba, however, would have none of it, and because both were supremely stubborn, the argument lasted for hours until they finally agreed on a compromise; Sojiro would work at the mornings, show Wakaba how it's done, and in the evening, she would take over. That last part required Futaba to intervene, but Sojiro wouldn't trust even his own family to run the store without his supervision. And so, here he was, frantically serving customers that, of course, had to choose _today _to come to the cafe in what could only be described as a frenzied drove.

"Here's your curry sir, enjoy! Yes ma'am, your coffee is brewing right now! Sakura-san, I'll be right there!"

Needless to say, he was completely swamped, and if it wasn't for Futaba and Izanagi helping out, Yu was pretty sure he would've gotten some orders mixed up. So with this amount of stress, he was grateful he was able to deliver BroBro's Bizarre Adventure to the twins earlier.

"Hey mom! We're almost out of Blue Mountain beans!" Futaba cried out, drawing his attention to the here and now.

"Write it down Futaba! Soji and I will handle it later!"

As Yu continued to work at a frantic pace, he could tell that the day this cafe was to be resupplied was some time soon. The jars and the fridge were running dangerously low, and if this kept up, they might have to close on account of not being able to serve anyone, and if that happened, Sojiro might try to pin the missing supplies on him. While both he and Izanagi knew that Futaba and Wakaba would try to change his mind, in the end, it was Sojiro, not the girls, that Yu was employed to. He knew he'd have to do something to avert catastrophe.

"Futaba, do you think Sojiro-san's well enough to walk around?" Yu asked as he began to stir a fresh pot of curry.

"I think so. But if he tries to work, I'm not too sure." She replied, placing another dirty cup into a sink full of bubbles and other dirty dishes.

"What about groceries? We're almost out of supplies, but we just might be able to hold out if you and Sojiro-san make a rush to the store."

"I'll see what I can do, but there's no guarantee that mom will let him go."

"You have to try."

"You know that you'll also have to work on dishes too if I'm gone?"

"I can handle it. Tell Wakaba-san and go."

Futaba gave a small nod, drying off some dishes before running off to talk to Wakaba. The woman bit her lip in concern before giving a nod and motioning with her head encourage the girl to run to get her father, which she did. Izanagi spoke up.

** Need me to go and check up on them?**

_ No, I need you here. Besides, you can't do anything if something happens, and I can't just drop everything and make a mad dash to them if they get in trouble. And even then, if I somehow make it, I'll have to explain how I managed to find out what was happening. Just focus on helping me remember orders. _

** Alright. Looks like we got another couple coming in.**

The day continued like that for a good while. Thankfully, it didn't get to the point where they had to turn away anyone, and when Sojiro had arrived with Futaba to restock, Yu could only compare the soreness and sweat to what he experienced after a hard day of infiltration. Sojiro did not look much better. His eyes had bags around them, his forehead glistened with sweat, and his face was gaunt. Yet despite that, he didn't appear weak or vulnerable.

"Alright, Futaba, you and I are gonna start unpacking the supplies. Narukami, you and Wakaba continue what you're doing." Sojiro ordered as he and his daughter went to the back room. Almost as if his arrival seemed to deter people, the tide slowly but surely lessened, and Yu let out a sigh of relief when the last one left and Sojiro flipped the sign to "CLOSED".

"Well… that was something." Wakaba voiced everyone's thoughts as the crew took a breather.

"Yea. If I knew this many customers were going to show up, I would've stayed here and sent Narukami to go get the food. But, on the bright side, we probably made more money today than we have the past few months combined."

Futaba let out a gasp.

"Does that mean we can update our game systems?!"

"Sure. You girls head out. Narukami and I will make sure I didn't forget anything."

Futaba and her mother left the cafe, and Sojiro turned to his employee. Yu expected a scowl, maybe a frown, but what he got was a calm and warm smile.

"Ok, I'll admit; I'm impressed."

Yu tilted his head back, puzzled.

"Heh. Yea, bet you weren't expecting that. But I am. When the surge hit, you kept your cool, and if what Futaba tells me is true, you didn't even mess up a single order, which is something not even I probably could've done."

"I had help."

** Damn right you did.**

"Heh. Modest too. Point is, you did good under extreme pressure that would've caused other people in your position to go crazy. You deserve a reward."

Sojiro walked behind the counter and opened the almost bursting cash register. He pulled out the appropriate bills to pay Yu's wage, but he stopped the teenager when he went to collect it. Sojiro then went and added another 200,000 yen to the pile, then handing it to Yu.

"Sir… I… I can't-"

"You can. And you will." Sojiro told him, using the same ominous and authoritative voice he always used to order Yu to do something. It worked, the highschooler meekly taking the cash and walking out. Sojiro called him.

"And kid?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'll only say this once; I might've been wrong about you."

Yu felt himself smile before giving a reply.

"You probably were."

* * *

As Yu sat in his room finishing up his homework, he suddenly received a text from Haru.

Haru: Naru-chan, are you awake?

Yu: I am.

Haru: Excellent. I think I've finished the details of my plan.

Yu: Great. So what is it?

Haru: I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend.

Yu: …

Yu: I'm sorry, what?

Haru: The plan is simple. Father cares about my happiness more than the company. So if I tell him that I've fallen in love with someone (IE you), then he'll break off the engagement.

Yu: Ok, but what about your company?

Haru: I've been thinking about that, and did some research into Sugimura. Apparently, while he may be the heir to a wealthy company now, he's built a reputation for spending his money and his father's money recklessly. Perhaps that's why his father proposed the match to begin with; Sugimura's spending all the money, and his father needs a fresh supply.

Yu: So you're saying this marriage could be disastrous in the long-term.

Haru: Precisely.

Yu: Fine. But there's going to have to be an inner circle of people that know the truth.

Haru: Of course. I know we should bring Shiho in, since I've heard you two have started going out. Anyone else you have in mind?

Yu: Makoto

Haru: Really? Why?

Yu: Because if she finds out, and she will if we're going to make it public, she'll rat me out to my guardian, and Sae-san will have my hide.

Haru: Got it. Anyone else?

Yu: None. You?

Haru: None. Guess I'll see you, Mako-chan and Shiho-kun on Monday?

Yu: You got it.

Haru: Very well. Thank you for this Naru-chan. :)

Yu: Anytime.

* * *

Yu heard the sound of chains, and instantly knew where he was. But what caught him off guard was the sight that awaited him.

"AWAKEN OUR INMATE!" Caroline shouted while doing an unbelievably dramatic pose that reminded Yu of Akechi.

"Caroline? What in the world are you doing?" Yu asked in befuddlement.

"We have summoned you here to offer our thanks! And congratulations for emerging the victor!" Caroline began, her voice thunderous with passion, and striking another dramatic pose.

"I'm sorry, what?" Yu asked, utterly clueless.

"Remember that favor we asked you for? Well thanks to you bringing us the DvDs, we were able to win a bet we had with our sisters on whose guest could provide the best gift." Caroline noted with pride in her voice.

"Girls…" An intimidating voice rumbled.

Both of the twins suddenly froze and slowly turned around, and there was Igor, apparently having just arrived, as he was standing near a doorway. But what stood out the most was that usual face-splitting grin was nowhere to be found, and the man's eyes narrowed. This was the first time Yu saw the girls afraid, and if he was honest, he felt a sense of dread too. This was not going to end well.

"Y-y-yes master?" Carloine asked, all the bravado drained from her.

"What have I told you, your sisters, and your brother about using the guests for games?"

Both girls instantly went to their knees.

"P-please master! There are multiple guests this time around, it only seemed fair to have a competition!" Caroline begged, fresh tears beginning to make their way down her cheeks. Igor simply shook his head and raised his hand to snap his fingers.

"I-it wasn't our idea master! We were roped in by Elizabeth! She's the one that proposed the idea!" Justine reasoned, also on her knees, expressing emotion for perhaps the first time in her life.

"And yet, you could have turned her down. Your sister will receive her due, but you also broke the rules, knowing full well the consequences. You have no one to blame but yourselves."

With a snap of his fingers, the two kneeling women opened their mouths in a silent scream. Yu's eyes widened as their bodies began to change. Still as statues, the center of their chest began to transform into ash, and like an infection, the transformation spread throughout their bodies until there was no flesh left. Shortly afterwards, the piles of ash that were once Caroline and Justine crumbled, and their remains scattered to an invisible wind. Igor set his eyes on Yu, his trademark grin once again appearing.

"I do apologize for that. I was planning on summoning you myself, but since my assistants have taken care of that for me-"

"Did you just kill them?!" Yu yelled, half terrified, half furious.

"Of course not. I simply punished them for toying with you."

"They didn't toy with me. They asked for my help, which I gave willingly."

"That does not matter. The rules are that they are not allowed to use a guest of the Velvet Room for their own entertainment. They knew the consequences, yet they still disobeyed."

"Well what'd you expect? I don't know what the Velvet Room looks like normally, but they can't have much to do when no one's around."

Igor's throat rumbled with a small cackle.

"Yes I suppose it's true. This is not the first time they've done this with their guests, and I highly doubt it'll be the last time. Though the punishment should ensure that they don't pull it again until many years in the future."

"And if they do, you'll try to do the same thing?"

"I won't _try _, I _will _. And if the girls would behave themselves like their brother, I wouldn't have to discipline them."

"Their brother? How many siblings do they have?"

Igor gave a gentle chuckle, as if he was happy to have an excuse to talk about those who inhabited the Velvet Room with him.

"I have five assistants in total. The oldest, most powerful, and well-behaved is Theodore, the fine gentleman that gave you the contract you signed."

"Why did you create them? Every time I've seen you perform a fusion you've always done it yourself."

Igor gave another chuckle, but this one felt more like an old man reminiscing about the good old days.

"For a number of reasons; one, such an action wears you down after awhile. I learned that when the first guest for the Velvet Room arrived during the days of ancient Egypt. Second, their primary task is to manage the compendium. It would be incredibly exhausting to constantly call forth and then fuse Personas, especially if the guest desires one that's the highest of its arcana. Third, I learned that my appearance can be a bit... disturbing. The guests feel much more at ease if they with something that at least resembles a human. Finally, I have… other duties… outside of the Velvet Room, and I cannot be everywhere at once. As such, my assistants are also capable of performing the fusion."

"Wow. Wait, hold up, ancient Egypt? Just how long has this place been around?"

"Around what you humans call the Bronze Age, human beings had existed long enough to create figures of might, magic, and myth to give voice to both their desires, and the powers that affected their lives that they had no control over. There were also enough of them that their subconscious desires began to pool. Eventually, a realm known as the Collective Unconscious formed, and from that, human desires formed in what we call Shadows and Personas. But before them, two beings of colossal power were made from the soul of humanity. Nyarlathotep, and my master and maker, Philemon. My master represented everything good in humanity, and Nyarlathotep, everything evil."

"Let me guess, they chose to duke it out." Yu guessed.

"Not so. Instead of resorting to something as crude as combat, they chose to make a wager."

"A wager?" Yu asked, caught off guard.

"A gamble to see if humanity can rise above its faults and become something more, or if they'll succumb to their flaws and destroy themselves. To ensure the former comes about, I was made, and given the power to do whatever I could to aid those who held the potential to fight off mankind's ruin. And to aid me, I created Theodore. In time, as the human race grew in size, the threat of ruin continued to surface more and more often."

"I see. So, has the threat of ruin been on the rise for awhile now?"

"The threat of ruin is always there. Like the tide, it always returns, and when it does, fate always finds a Wild Card and we help them push it back."

"And it's returning more frequently?"

"Yes. Time has no meaning here in the Velvet Room, so before, it would feel like eons before another guest would arrive, but now, they are coming and going like the Velvet Room is a fast food restaurant." Igor answered, realizing that this was also the first time the Velvet Room had multiple contracts at once.

"Well, when you put it like that, are you really that surprised that the girls would try to take advantage of the new activity?"

Igor's smile never seemed more genuine than it did right then.

"No I suppose not. Especially if it was done as a contest. My assistants bark, bicker, and brawl constantly. And whenever a guest is involved, they always at least attempt to bring them in on the competition. And yet, when one of them is in danger, the others cannot rush fast enough to help. But the rules exist for a reason. If the assistants were too busy using the guest for entertainment rather than actually helping, it could cost our guest their life."

"Even so, does that really justify turning the twins to ash?"

"I already told you, they will both be alive and well. All I did was force them to another space where I will be able to discipline them properly. You have nothing to fear."

Before the conversation could continue further, they heard the alarm bell. Yu began to fall asleep again, and he heard Igor's final words.

"What a pity. I had such important matters to discuss."


	50. Checkup

With Sunday finally upon the world, Yu Narukami made his way to the SIU Headquarters to do his second job, but this time, he brought with him the sister of his boss; Makoto Niijima. Of course, Yu made sure that Sae was expecting them, but that didn't stop him from being nervous, since he wasn't quite sure what would happen. Would Sae have Makoto help her with boxing instructions, work, or pile that onto him and Akechi while she spent time with her sibling?

_ Guess I'll find out soon enough _.

And with that, the Wild Card walked in, determined to to see the day through with as few scratches as possible, especially since he planned on scouting out the remainder of the Palace with Hifumi. Makoto and he managed to reach Akechi's desk in no time. The teen detective looked at them with a small smile.

"Hello Makoto-san. Yu told us you'd be here, but I didn't think you'd actually come."

"I made sure everything was clear for today. Where's Sis?" Makoto asked.

"She should be back any moment. She's interrogating someone right now, but I expect him to crack any-"

The elevator doors opened with a _DING _.

"Ah. There she is now."

Sae looked at the group, and when her eyes settled on Makoto, they widened for the briefest of moments before returning to normal.

"Makoto. Didn't expect you so early."

"Hey Sis. This could be the only time we get to spend time together for awhile, so I wanted to make the most of it."

Appreciation shone in Sae's eyes, and soon, that appreciation showed itself in her smile.

"Me too. In fact, you're just in time. There's some rookies that think the rules don't apply to them. Because of that, the director sent me to teach them some hand-to-hand combat."

Makoto had a look of confusion on her face.

"What will that d-… oh." Makoto replied, having answered her own question.

"Exactly. Care to join us?" Sae asked.

"Me? Are you sure?"

"Of course. The whole point of the training exercise is to knock the new guys down a peg. And if they get their hides handed to them by a girl who's still in highschool, then all the better."

Makoto beamed at Sae's confidence in her. The prosecutor gestured for the group to follow her as she made her way to the elevator. Within a few minutes, they had arrived at the training area, and Sae took her sister to the changing rooms while Akechi and Yu found spots to watch the action. The two teenagers took a look at the recruits. Just like Sae said, they each had an air of arrogance about them, like this was all beneath them. When Makoto stepped out in training gear, Yu noticed the guy currently in the ring was eyeing her up and down, and if his face was any indication, he was no doubt imagining what she'd look like naked.

"Alright, first thing's first. This is my younger sister Makoto. Don't feel like you have to go easy on her because she's younger than you and my family. That being said, are you two ready?"

"Ready." Makoto said with a nod, getting into the appropriate stance.

"Always." The man replied, mirroring her stance.

"BEGIN!" Sae yelled, and the two combatants rushed toward each other. The rookie threw a punch, but Yu saw it coming a mile away, and so, it seems, did Makoto. Effortlessly deflecting the blow with a slap of her hand, that same hand balled into a fist and backhanded the guy, making him stagger backwards. To his credit, he took the hit well, spinning backwards and using the momentum to try and hit back using his foot. Makoto was ready for that as well, grabbing the foot and pulling. The trainee didn't move his other leg to keep up, and as a result, the man forced to do the splits. As he howled in pain, Makoto hit the side of his head with her knee, hard. The man was sent to the floor, his hands shooting to his head as he tried to get up. Suddenly, the group heard a loud whistle be blown, and looking at the source of it, they saw Sae, now standing in her own training clothes as well, her silver hair tied up in a ponytail behind her. The woman stepped into the ring, ignoring the leers and cat-calls from the other rookies.

"I'll take it from here Makoto."

"Is something wrong Sis?" Makoto asked, barely above a whisper.

"You're going too easy on them. They're here to learn a lesson in humility. Get changed Makoto, and try to be quick."

Makoto stood for a moment, stunned that she was being removed so soon, and of all the reasons it was because she was being too gentle. Sae raised an eyebrow as if to ask what was taking so long, and Makoto meekly lowered her head and walked off the arena, leaving Sae and a confused opponent.

"Next trainee." Sae ordered, and her tone invited no argument. The man Makoto just thoroughly defeated made his way off the ring, and in his place was a much bigger man, with his training outfit just barely managing to contain his muscles. Sae didn't appear nervous in the slightest, and Yu didn't have a hard time believing that this guy was the one in charge of the group. It was then he knew what Sae was doing; if she proved she could beat the top dog, the others would know better than to mess with her.

"Ready?" Sae asked without fear.

The man gave a small nod, and cracked his knuckles. The two walked in a circle, measuring each other up and neither getting into a fighting stance. Yu could tell this big guy was experienced; he could somehow tell how dangerous Yu's guardian was, and unlike the one before him, he knew better than to underestimate her. Makoto emerged from the training room, and her eyes bulged when she saw who her sister was fighting.

"Ready when you are." Sae stated, and the man gave a curt nod in acknowledgement.

This new opponent finally charged forward without warning, much faster than Yu thought someone his size was capable of moving. He threw a punch with his right hand, but it was a fake-out, his real attack was with a jab to Sae's abdomen. Yu thought the sudden switch would catch Sae off guard, but his guardian not only managed to dodge the blow, but she grabbed his wrist, holding his arm in place, and with a well placed knee strike to his arm, broke it entirely. The man howled in pain, and Sae made sure to back away just as he attempted to grab her.

** It would appear the others are starting to pay more attention.**

Yu looked, and saw that Izanagi was right. All the other recruits, now that they saw the strongest of them getting hurt, were beginning to take Sae seriously. Gone were the lustful looks, replaced by stares of concern as the fight continued. With his arm now broken, the man switched instead to his legs, launching a flurry of kicks. Sae managed to dodge all of them, and when the final kick came, Sae grabbed hold. At first, Yu thought she was going to perform the same move Makoto did, but instead, Sae did something else instead. With his groin exposed, Sae managed to get a quick, and very powerful, kick to the balls. The man screamed as agony surged throughout his body, and Sae took advantage, knocking him flat on his back with a sweeping kick while still holding on to his leg. Before he had any chance to do anything, Sae pulled on the leg in a way it was never supposed to be pulled, and Yu heard the bone crack as it broke.

** Jeez. Akechi wasn't kidding when he said Sae went easy on us.**

The man's eyes told Sae that he gave up. Sae's eyes told him she didn't care. Letting go of his now broken leg, she made sure to put a foot on his face as she addressed the crowd.

"You all have been allowed to join the greatest crime fighting unit in Japan. With that, comes an enormous amount of responsibility. Responsibility to uphold the law, responsibility to those you work with, but most importantly, responsibility to get the job done right. And the only way the last one happens is if you do as you are told. Now, I'm going to believe those who recommended you when they say you're competent in CQC. However, if you give me _any _reason to doubt that, I'll have to evaluate you myself."

Yu saw the nervousness in their faces; sweat was starting to form on their foreheads, and they were shooting glances to the exit. Sae's plan was a success; she had made the fresh blood fear her, and made sure they understood she was the alpha here. The woman stepped off her defeated opponent, and he meekly forced himself up, utterly humiliated.

"Dismissed. All of you. Narukami, Akechi, help him to the clinic." She ordered.

Everyone made their way out as quickly as they could without making themselves look like children. Soon, Makoto and Sae were all that were left.

"You were a little hard, don't you think?" The younger Niijima asked.

"No." The elder replied without hesitation.

"You broke both his arm and his leg. Was that really necessary?"

"Absolutely." Sae answered immediately.

"But-"

"Makoto, when you enter a job like this, you have to ask yourself a question; do you want to be nice, or do you want to be effective?"

Makoto didn't reply, so Sae took it as her cue to continue.

"You may not like it, but that's how this place works; once you start to fall behind, become useless, you get cut off. You may not like my methods, but thanks to breaking both his arm and his leg, the others know their place on the food chain. Do you understand?"

Makoto gave meek nod in response.

"Good. Now, let's do something else. I've asked my boss to have the rest of the day off. Once Narukami and Akechi get here, I'll let them know they can go home."

Makoto looked up in surprise.

"The _whole _day? I thought we would only have a few hours."

"Well, Akechi convinced me that, since this would be one of the few chances where I could see you, I should ask for the whole day off."

Makoto gave a wide smile.

"Thank you Sis!" She squealed, hugging her sibling, which Sae returned awkwardly.

"Do you happen to have any ideas of what to do?" The eldest Niijima asked.

"The aquarium!"

"That? Are you sure?"

"Yes! You've never seen it, but it's amazing!"

Sae let herself have a small smile, and the doors opened, revealing Akechi and Yu. The prosecutor turned to address her two employees.

"Ah good. Akechi, Narukami, I'm going to be taking the rest of the day off. You two are free to do whatever you want."

The two looked at each other in surprise, then back at Sae. Akechi spoke first.

"Thank you Sae-san. I appreciate it."

"Just don't get used to it."

"I won't. But I didn't have any plans, so I look forward to relaxing."

Makoto's eyes widened as an idea popped into her head.

"Yu-kun do you have any plans?"

"Actually I do, but they aren't until the afternoon."

"Perfect! Sis and I are going to the aquarium, want to tag along?"

Yu put his hand up to his chin, weighing the pros and cons.

_ I could use that time on other things. And this is supposed to be a thing between sisters. _

Before Yu could speak his answer, Sae beat him to it.

"That's an excellent idea Makoto. Narukami, you're coming with us."

_ She didn't even give me thirty seconds. _

** She's suspicious of you, remember? She wants you where she can see you.**

"I'd be happy to tag along." Yu replied.

"Good. Wait here while I get changed."

The older woman and Akechi left, leaving Yu alone with Makoto his thoughts.

_ Let's hope that Sae's willing to let us go if we have to leave. _

** True. She'll also take this opportunity to try and interrogate us.**

_ I know. She won't be upfront about it either. She'll try to be subtle about it. _

** We'll have to be careful. Especially if she somehow knows about Mitsuyo.**

The oldest girl emerged from the changing room in her casual wear, Makoto looking more than a little excited, while Sae seemed to focus her gaze exclusively on him.

"Ready?" Makoto asked.

"For anything." Yu replied.

* * *

The three of them arrived at the aquarium, and while Makoto was giddy with excitement, Yu could feel Sae's eyes glancing at him every so often. The younger Niijima turned to Yu as they approached the doors.

"So Yu-kun, have you ever been to an aquarium?"

"Can't say I have. You and Sae?"

"Back when dad was still around, he offered to take the two of us to this one here. I went with him, but Sis turned down the offer."

Makoto let out a small giggle.

"She said 'studying is more important than fish'. You want to know what happened the next day?"

_ I can guess. _

"Was there a test?"

"Yup! A surprise marine biology quiz!" Makoto said as she burst out laughing. Yu even noticed Sae's face crack with a grin.

"I imagine she didn't do so well."

"No. I failed… but so did everyone else." Sae replied as they finally entered the building. Paying the entrance fee, they stepped into what seemed like a whole nother world. There were all kinds of colorful fish everywhere the eye could see, and despite her efforts, Yu could tell that Sae was just as impressed as he was.

** Hey, hey Yu!**

The Wild Card turned to where his Persona had wandered off, only to see that Izanagi was behind the other side of the glass, making it look like he was in the water. The fish went through him and once he knew he had his master's attention, his eyes went wide with fear.

** HELP! HELP ME! I'M DROWNING!**

Izanagi then proceeded to clamp his hands around his neck and make it look like he was dying. When he was done, his body went limp, and Yu smiled at his inner self's antics.

"Having fun?" Sae's voice asked from behind.

"I am. You?"

"Not really. I mean, don't get me wrong, the fish are beautiful and all, but I wouldn't call this fun."

"Then what would you consider fun?"

Sae opened her mouth, but slowly closed it, as if she was pondering that question for the first time.

"I'm not sure, anymore."

"That's a total lie."

Both turned to Makoto, who had appeared seemingly out of thin air.

"When Sis was younger, she was into all kinds of stuff. Window shopping, actual shopping, trying on makeup, gossiping about boys, usual girly stuff. And that was just the daytime stuff. Her nightlife was-"

"Woah woah woah, back up. Sae-san gossiped? About _boys _?"

Yu saw his guardian… actually panic. She turned to her younger sister, who gleefully continued.

"Oh yes. Turns out, she prefers mature, older men. In fact, she developed a crush on a guy who was in college during her first year in highschool."

Sae sent Makoto a pleading look, and the younger Niijima seemed to enjoy making the prosecutor silently beg. Yu had to satisfy his curiosity, so he made no effort to stop Makoto.

"Oh really? And did he return the feelings?"

"Well…" Makoto started, teasingly putting a finger on her chin.

"Makoto… I'm warning you. You'd better stop or…" Sae said, but her eyes showed her panic. Makoto and Yu both saw it, and Makoto let out a soft giggle at the look.

"Or what Sis?" Makoto asked in mock innocence. Sae clearly wasn't expecting that, and her sister took it as her cue to continue.

** It's good to know that Sae Niijima isn't as unshakeable as she wants us to think.**

"She spent hours working up the courage to ask him for his number, and when she finally decided to call it, she spent so long pacing back and forth before calling him. When he picked up, Sis asked him on a date."

Whatever shock Sae had at Makoto's defiance, it was gone now. Sae activated her glare, and this time, her target was Makoto. Yu's senpai saw it and clearly didn't care. Or, more likely, she didn't know her sister well enough to recognize the danger.

"He told her that his future husband wouldn't appreciate him going to see someone else."

Yu's jaw dropped into an "O" shape and his eyes widened. The world seemed to stop as Yu processed this information, and before long, he covered his mouth to try and stop the laughter escaping. Sae, however, was less than amused.

"You know Makoto, it's been awhile since I've seen you practice martial arts, and your form today was sloppy. Tomorrow, after school, you're going to meet me and we're going to… practice. Understood?" Sae asked, her tone icy.

"Completely." Makoto replied with a smile.

_ She just sees this as an opportunity to spend more time with Sae, and she's oblivious to the danger. I'll have to remember to warn her and Akechi later. _

The trio stood there in a bit of silence until a nearby news channel seemed to interrupt all their thoughts.

"In other news Risette is scheduled to make an appearance at Togo News Station in three days. The young idol will answer questions from fans, and reveal the release date of her upcoming album. Already the police are making preparations for her arrival."

Sae let out a groan at the last sentence.

"Something wrong Sis? Not excited to meet the number one idol in the country coming to visit?"

"It just means more work for me. That girl has way too many lunatics for fans. I'll have to make sure she has a proper security detail. I might even have to escort her myself."

Sae let out yet another, more drawn out groan.

"And you can bet she'll have the personality of spoiled bimbo. Always finding something to whine about, and the only thing she'll talk about or know is celebrity gossip. It's going to drive me through the roof."

"Actually, she's not like that at all." Yu spoke up.

"Oh?" Sae asked, her voice dripping with disbelief

"Yea. I knew her back in Yasoinaba. True, she can be a bit of a flirt, but she's the most mature highschooler I know. She's also surprisingly thoughtful. Just give her a chance Sae-san, and she may surprise you."

Sae looked at the ground for a few seconds, then back to Yu, giving a nod in response.

"I'll take it under advisement."

Suddenly, Yu's phone went off, the timer reminding him about his other plans. He looked up at the two girls, and Sae gave him another nod, signaling that he was allowed to leave. But he didn't notice Sae narrow her eyes as he left. No matter what, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was up to something.

* * *

Ryuji was on his way back from the grocery store. His mom had forgotten to buy some ingredients for dinner tonight. Rather than go herself, she instead gave the cash to Ryuji and sent him to fetch what he needed. In truth, the track runner didn't mind it all that much; he enjoyed helping his parents in any way he could, and he always enjoyed the exercise. Plus, it allowed him to see the sights of the city. One sight that recently took a more sour meaning was the Togo New Station. Before, he didn't really think much of it, but now he can't help but feel like a knot formed in his gut, not just because of who it belonged to, but also because he couldn't do anything to stop her. So, Ryuji carried on, until he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

Ryuji caught sight of her because of her hair ribbon, he stopped in his tracks when he saw who it was. It was Hifumi, alone in an alley. What was she doing here? And why did she keep looking at her phone? Did she have a meeting with her mother, or was he just overthinking things? Ryuji, deciding the groceries could wait, started to walk over to her, try to figure out why she was here, and try to help her. But that plan was cut short when he saw something else; Yu Narukami appeared behind her and started talking to her. Why the hell was he here? And what are they talking about? Hifumi smiled warmly as Yu pulled out his phone and began to talk to her. Ryuji felt a surge of jealousy in his gut. Taking out his phone, he managed to get a picture right before someone bumped into him, causing him to take his eyes off the pair for a split second.

But a split second was all they needed, because when Ryuji looked back, they were gone. He looked at the new photo, and felt uneasy. Ann told him she suspected him of cheating on Shiho, but Ryuji couldn't believe that. Ann also told him that she had a good feeling about Yu, and from Ryuji's own experience with the guy, he was nothing the rumors tried to make him out to be. The delinquent let out a tired sigh.

Tomorrow, he decided. Tomorrow, he was going to confront Yu about this and get some answers. Ryuji smiled. Yes, once Yu explained what was going on, Ryuji and Ann would realize that they were worried over nothing. And with that thought in mind, he continued on his way home.

* * *

As they teleported back into the Metaverse, Hifumi had a determined look in her eye.

"This is it. You ready?"

"No. But I've already decided to commit. I can't back out now."

The two stepped into the room where Kaito was waiting. He gave them a pleasant smile and waved at them as they entered. Hifumi returned the gestures and sat down in front of him, setting up the shogi pieces they collected. Kaito gave a grunt of acknowledgement.

"I see you have assembled your forces. You have proven you are worthy of my full power. But… I must confess to being puzzled. You've bested me already Hifumi. Why do you wish to fight me again?"

"Can we get access to the upper part of the tower without battling you?" Yu asked.

"Ah. In that case no. You've brought the pieces. Shall we begin the game?" Kaito asked, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"Yes. Let us begin."

Yu stood by the entrance door, ready and waiting for any Shadows that might try to interfere. But none came. The room was completely silent, aside from the _CLACK _s from the pieces as they both tried to outmaneuver each other. After a good couple of minutes, Yu looked over and saw that Hifumi was losing, a bead of sweat forming on her head. Yu wasn't sure what would happen if she lost. Would she be killed? Would she not be allowed to participate again? Would the pieces be scattered and force the Team to start all over? But then he noticed Hifumi smirk.

_ What's she up to? _

Another _CLACK _, and she looked at her father in triumph.

"Check."

Kaito went wide-eyed as he surveyed the board. Then his surprise melted into humility. He reached into his robes and pulled out an elaborate, golden key. Passing it to Hifumi, he gave a small bow.

"Well done. You have passed the trial. Whatever treasures that await in the vault are all yours. Congratulations."

Hifumi took the key and she walked to the door. It glowed with the same golden aura that surrounded the building that represented her room. A small gap took shape in the form of a keyhole, and Hifumi slid in her prize. The barrier dissolved, and the door opened. Yu smiled.

"Good job Venus. I thought you might lose for a moment there."

Hifumi let out a huff.

"We're lucky mother only played a few rounds of shogi from probably back when she first got to know my father. Had it been the real thing, he would've seen my trap and stopped me."

The two began to ascend, Fu Hao on the lookout for any Shadows. But, much to their surprise, the climb was uneventful. They finally entered a hallway that lead to a pair of incredibly ornate doors. Tucked away was a Safe Room, which the two teenagers entered.

"Well that wasn't too bad. You sure the others know that we're going to try to take the Treasure tomorrow?" Hifumi asked.

"They should. I told Akechi when we were returning from the nurse's office to let everyone else know what I was up to and be ready."

"Just making sure."

The two left, and made their way to the twin doors.

"Let me guess, the Treasure's right behind those doors?"

"Yes. Fu Hao's readings show there's only one room we haven't been in yet."

"Alright. Let's hope the Shadow isn't in there."

The two finished going down the hallway and opened the door.

And were immediately met by a swarm of Shadows. Yu immediately called Izanagi, but that's when he noticed something. The Shadows were facing away from him. Poking one of them in the back, it turned to face him. Yu saw that this one wasn't wearing a mask, and wasn't dressed like a guard. In fact, none of them had either masks for armor instead completely dressed in kimono and turned to someone else. Pushing his way forwards, he started to hear someone.

"Yu, Fu Hao picked up a single Shadow straight ahead."

Then heard the words from the voice started to become clearer.

"I know you've all done fine work making this place presentable. Much as I loathe having that piece of jail-bait Risette here, the simple fact is that whore has a great deal of pull. Because of this, we have to bring her here."

There she was. Shadow Mitsuyo Togo, sitting on a throne, and above her was the gas cloud of the Treasure. The throne itself was in the center of an elevated platform that was surrounded by Shadows on the ground and in balconies. It looked like she was in a play, all things considered. She gave a smirk before continuing.

"After the slut has come and gone, I want my personal quarters prepared. That handsome boy, Yu, should get that infiltrator Dojima out of our affairs soon enough. Once that's done, I'll force him to go there. I have needs that need attending to, and with my husband in the abhorrent state he is, he will not be able to fulfill them. I know some of you will doubt his loyalty, especially after I've made him go against his father. But make no mistake my subjects, that boy will fulfill whatever need I have of him, whether he wants to or not."

Yu grinded his teeth against each other. It was bad enough to hear her degrade Rise like that, but to listen to her talk about raping him so casually made his blood boil. In fact, he had half a mind to summon Izanagi right now and have him smite the arrogant bitch right here, right now. Hifumi put a hand on his shoulder, her face twisted into a grimace.

"Let's get out of here. I can't bear to listen to her any longer."

** She's right Yu. We secured our infiltration route. There's no need to be here any more.**

Yu gave a nod and the two made their way back to the last Safe Room, happy to hear Shadow Mitsuyo's voice gradually get harder and harder to hear. Once they were back in the real world, Yu spoke to his confidant.

"We have to send the calling card by tomorrow. Do you want to write it, or should I have Akechi do it?"

"I think it should be Akechi. I'll just make it into a ramble and then everyone will be able to tell it was me."

"Alright. I'll make sure he types it up and gets it to you by tomorrow. We'll strike after school gets out."

"Sounds like a plan."

Yu took a moment to text Akechi and the others. After receiving their replies, he looked at Hifumi.

"It's going to be time to face your mother soon. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I can be. Don't worry Yu. I won't hesitate."

"Good. It's getting a little late, so we should head back. Be ready."

"I will. I promise."


	51. Running to Conclusions

Yu sat with restless anticipation as the school day neared its end. It was now or never. With Rise due to arrive tomorrow, the Phantom Team had to steal Mitusyo Togo's heart today. If they failed, his life would be over and her victims would not get justice. Akechi told him he stayed up all night making the calling card, and all that was needed now was to have Hifumi deliver it. At first, Shiho wondered why they didn't just plaster everything in sight with them, like they did with Kobayakawa, and Yu reminded her that they weren't doing this for glory. Akechi also added that he was pressed for time, and one card was all he was able to make. Yu's mind flashed to the looming confrontation, running battle strategies in his head, or trying to prepare for whatever Mitsuyo's form could be. So caught up was he that when the loudspeaker came on, it forced Yu up with a jolt.

"Yu Narukami, please report to the gym. Yu Narukami to the gym."

Yu had a puzzled look on his face, and judging by his classmates looks, so were they. And the voice on the speaker sounded familiar too. Making his way there, Yu resolved to just take whatever it was lying down. He had too much on his mind to bother with this. He entered the gym though an already opened door. Reaching inside his pocket to get his phone, he turned around when he heard the door slam and lock.

_Wait, what the hell?_

Instead of it being a random student, a teacher, or even one of the Niijimas, Yu found himself face-to-face with…

"Ryuji? What are you doing here?"

"Hey dude. I'm the one that called you here. We need to talk."

"About what? And how were you able to use the PA system?" Yu asked, on guard. Ryuji's tone was neutral, but his eyes showed an innocent curiosity.

"No one else was in the room with it. We need to talk about Hifumi. And you."

Yu paused, tilting his head in confusion.

"I'm sorry, what?" Was the only thing he could think of.

"I've seen you and her together, alone. Care to explain what you're doing with another girl while you're dating Shiho? I just want an honest answer." Ryuji answered.

_Oh for fuck's sake. I don't have time for this._

"Ryuji, Hifumi and I haven't been seeing each other. We've never been in the same place alone at the same time." Was Yu's bored reply. He hoped the blond-haired delinquent would buy it. Instead, Ryuji's face turned into an ugly scowl.

"Oh really? Because I saw you and her alone on the rooftop at her highschool. You even said the two of you were alone in the church the day you encouraged me to ask her out."

Ryuji's scowl deepened.

"She said no, by the way. And after that, you two were alone yesterday. At her mom's news station."

Yu's eyes widened.

"Don't believe me? I have proof."

Ryuji pulled out his phone and showed Yu the picture, and sure enough, it was of him and Hifumi at the Togo News Station, all by themselves.

**Shit. When he puts it like that, it really does look bad.**

"Well? Wanna try again?" Ryuji asked through clenched teeth.

"Ryuji… I can explain."

_But if I do, I'll sound like a crazy person_.

"Oh really? Because I asked you to explain, and you effin' lied to my face!"

"Ryuji, calm down." Yu pleaded.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?!"

"I swear, this isn't what it looks like."

The next thing Yu felt was a very hard hit to the jaw. The silver-haired teenager went to the floor instantly, caught completely off guard by the sudden attack. As Yu began to reorient himself, he heard Ryuji speak, pure venom dripping from every word.

"You know, I thought they were wrong about you. Whenever I heard someone mutter in the hallway about how much of a scumbag you were, I'd always think that they were wrong. That you were like me; someone no one else would even try to understand."

Yu began to get up, tasting blood from a cut on his lip. He felt his resolve surge through him, and he glared at Ryuji. The blond high-schooler spread his arms wide, as if to say 'come at me bro'.

"But **holy shit** was I wrong. You ain't anything like me. The rumor mill was right about all the shitty things you are. For once. Tellin' Shiho that her boyfriend manipulated and used her will be a complete shitshow, but it's gotta be done. I hope you're ready for an asswhoopin' you ain't gonna forget, you piece of shit." Ryuji said with such calm fury that Yu felt a small shiver go up his spine.

"It's not too late to talk about this." Yu tried in a last ditch effort to get Ryuji to stand down.

"Yea it is. You had your chance and blew it when you tried to lie to me. Now shut up and fight."

Ryuji threw another punch, as fast and hard as the last one. But this time, Yu was ready. He caught the fist and matched Ryuji's scowl with his own.

"I am a lot of things Ryuji. But I'm not a man who's cheating on his girlfriend. And I'm certainly not someone's punching bag. You wanna fight? Fine. Let's fight." Yu hissed right before sending a punch of his own to Ryuji's gut. To his credit, the student didn't get down to one knee from the pain like Yu thought he would, instead being forced back by Yu's raw power. Ryuji cracked his knuckles and took up his battle stance. Yu could tell Ryuji had experience doing brawls before, but Yu had the advantage of training. An advantage that he intended to take full advantage of to make sure this ended quickly.

And with that, the brawl began in earnest, all hope of a peaceful resolution dying when Yu made his declaration. Yu took his kickboxer stance while Ryuji circled around, waiting for Yu to make the first move.

Which he did.

Throwing a right hook, Ryuji dodged Yu's attack and retaliated swiftly, landing a solid hit on Yu's face. He tried to follow it up with another punch, but Yu managed to redirect it, and crack Ryuji across the jaw with the back of his fist. Stunned, Yu let loose a powerful kick to Ryuji's stomach. At first, it seemed to have the desired effect, but then Ryuji grabbed the leg and elbowed it hard. Yu went to the floor, and Ryuji grabbed him by the hair, picked him up and slammed him against the wall. Before Yu could have the chance to fight back, Ryuji pressed his arm against Yu's throat, punched him in the gut before cracking him across the jaw. Yu was in a corner and hurt, but Ryuji wasn't letting up, grabbing the silver-haired student by the shirt.

_I was wrong. Ryuji __has_ _been trained._

"Yu-kun?! What's going on in there?! Open up!" Makoto ordered from the other side of the locked door.

Ryuji was briefly distracted by Makoto's voice, giving Yu an opening. Slamming both of his fists down on the top part of Ryuji's elbows, the delinquent let go of Yu's shirt. Before Ryuji could register what Yu did, he grabbed Ryuji's shirt and hit him with a headbutt. With Ryuji staggered and forced back, Yu pressed the attack. Hitting Ryuji with the back of his left fist, then following it up with a kick to the gut, and finishing the combo with a swing from his right arm so strong, Ryuji did a half flip before hitting the ground. Ryuji got back on his feet with a groan, determination in both his eyes and Yu's, The blond teenager swung first, but Yu surprised him by hitting him first with an uppercut. Yu quickly followed this with a few heavy-hitting consecutive punches to the chest, finishing it off with a roundhouse kick. Ryuji tried to fight back with a kick, but Yu grabbed Ryuji's leg tight and threw him across the gym.

Ryuji refused to stay down, getting back up after a bit of struggling. By now both boys had bloody noses, and bruises were starting to form. There was no doubt that their bodies would be sore and aching from this battle, and they would need to make sure they didn't have any fractured bones. But neither of them cared. Not while the other stood. Before the fight could go on to round three, the doors swung open, there stood Makoto, Akechi and Ushimaru. Yu and Ryuji looked at each other, not knowing that the door was open. The two ran towards each other, both ready to keep fighting.

"What is the meaning of this?! STOP! BOTH OF YOU!" Ushimaru yelled, and as if a spell over them had been broken, Yu and Ryuji stopped dead in their tracks and looked at the group for the first time. And none of them looked happy.

* * *

"You two, in my office. Now." Ushimaru spat.

"You have no idea how lucky you are Narukami." Ushimaru began as the two fighters sat down in front of him, bruises staining their skin, and blood staining their clothes. At his side were Akechi and Makoto, both of whom looked very disappointed.

"Had I found you fighting any other student, I would've had you expelled on the spot. But Sakamoto has a reputation for provoking others and starting fights. As it stands, I'll give you both a chance to explain what happened. Starting with you Sakamoto."

"And don't lie. I'll be able to tell if you are." Makoto warned.

"This asshole's cheating on Shiho, so I decided to beat the shit out of him." Ryuji answered.

Upon hearing the delinquent's very brief, but true explanation, Ushimaru let out a very loud, long, drawn out, and exasperated sigh, and then buried his face in his hands. Makoto pinched the bridge of her nose while Akechi tried to suppress a chuckle, like an outsider laughing at how a child got caught misbehaving.

"Narukami, could you give us a more… descriptive telling of the events?" Ushimaru asked.

That was exactly what Yu did. Starting from when he was called to the gym, to Ryuji's interrogation, to the fight breaking out. Ushimaru sighed again.

"So what you're telling me is that Sakamoto decided to try and beat you to a bloody pulp over nothing more than suspicion?"

"It ain't suspicion! I tried to find out what he was doing with Hifumi, and he lied to me! I can prove it!" Ryuji interrupted.

"Ushimaru-sensei, if you don't mind, I think I should talk to Ryuji and Yu alone. This is just a big misunderstanding." Akechi interjected.

"Fine. But Niijima will be with you. She'll decide what to do with you."

"You're not gonna punish us?" Yu asked, trying to hide the relief. The last thing he needed was detention on the day when he _needed_ to take someone's heart. Ushimaru shook his head.

"Under normal circumstances, I'd just call your parents and let them meat out punishment. But, that approach hasn't worked with Sakamoto, and Sae-san technically isn't your parent. I've trusted Niijima with such matters before, and she hasn't let me down yet."

Looking at the girl in question, he gave a small nod, and the four students made their way to the Student Council room. Once the door was closed and locked, Makoto looked at Akechi expacantly. The detective let out a sigh.

"Makoto, I think it's best if you stepped out of the room. What I'm about to say is confidential."

"No. I need to hear the whole story. Besides, you know I can keep a secret." Makoto reasoned, and the look she gave Akechi made it clear that she wouldn't budge. Yu could definitely see the resemblance between her and her sister. Akechi, knowing that time was short, decided to relent.

"The reason why Yu's been seeing Hifumi is because her mother is under investigation." Akechi began. Ryuji snapped to attention, while Makoto just looked puzzled.

"Really? Sis didn't tell me that."

"That's because Sae-san doesn't know. It began a few weeks ago, shortly after Kobayakawa was imprisoned. An associate of mine, Yusuke Katagawa, contacted me, expressing concern for a friend of his."

"Hifumi." Ryuji guessed.

"Yes. Apparently, her mother was causing her distress, and Yusuke wanted me to investigate Mitsuyo, to see if there was anything I could use to get her stop whatever she was doing to Hifumi. Originally, I was going to say no, but then I remembered that Dojima-san, Yu's father, was investigating her before being reassigned. So I began my own investigation, and I enlisted Yu to help me."

"And he went after Hifumi to try and get anything from here." Makoto reasoned.

"Correct. Meanwhile, I've been investigating Togo using other means."

"Why didn't you tell me? Or Sis?"

"Because we haven't found anything yet. And you of all people should know how much Sae-san hates having her time wasted."

"Wait… so… why did Yu tell me?"

"He wasn't supposed to tell anyone. Before today, the only people that knew about this were me, him, and Yusuke."

The four just sit there, letting Akechi's lie sink in and get processed. Makoto seemed a bit suspicious, but kept her mouth pressed in a thin line. Yu tried to have as blank an expression as possible, while Ryuji seemed to be going through every emotion possible as fast as possible. Silence reigned for a few more moments until Ryuji let out a groan.

"Awwww man. That means… God dammit!"

Ryuji punched a table and let out a hiss of pain, his body already starting to become sore. He then looked at Yu with apologetic puppy eyes.

"I'm really sorry dude. I thought… well…"

"I know Ryuji. You couldn't have possibly known what I was doing. And I didn't do myself any favors by lying to you."

"Yea, but I still feel shitty about beating you up over nothing."

"You didn't exactly get out unscathed."

"Yea. I didn't expect you to hit so hard. Have you been in a fight before?"

"A few times. I've also had some training."

"Me too! My dad taught me. You?"

"Same here. I've also gotten some from my guardian."

"Oh that's so cool! We should do this again sometime, see what we can learn from each other."

"Maybe later."

Makoto looked at the two boys with total shock plastered on her face. When she found them, they looked ready to kill each other. No, they _were_ trying to kill each other. But now that it was over, they were talking like they were best friends. And not only that, but they wanted to do it _again_. She let out an exhausted sigh.

"Alright. Since this was all just a big misunderstanding, I'll tell Ushimaru-sensei to let you off the hook. But if this happens again, you're both going to detention and doing the janitor's job. Understood?" Makoto asked sternly.

"Y-yes Makoto-senpai!" Ryuji stammered, while Yu gave a small nod in acknowledgement.

"Good. You're both dismissed."

The three made their way out of the building, while Makoto went back to Ushimaru. Once they were out, Yu gave a nod to Akechi, signaling to the detective to go and deliver the card to Hifumi. As Yu's teammate left, Ryuji started talking again.

"But for real, I'm really sorry about that dude."

"It's alright Ryuji. You thought I was cheating on Shiho, and did what any good friend would do. She's lucky to have a friend like you looking out for her."

"Yea but I still feel shitty about it. I feel like I gotta make it up to you somehow."

Yu shot a text out to the other team members to meet him at the news station. Akechi had passed on the calling card, and Hifumi was en-route to deliver it to Mitsuyo at her office.

"Look, if you want to make it up to me so bad, talk to Makoto. She knows what you can do!" Yu yelled as he sprinted down towards his showdown with Mitsuyo Togo.


	52. Checkmate

**Author's Notes: Ultra Sonic, thanks for bringing the lack of line breaks to my attention, and I'm a little surprised it took this long for someone to point it out. I write these chapters over in Google Drive and include the line breaks there, so I was a bit surprised when I saw your comment about line breaks, considering I pretty much copy-paste from there to here. I've gone back and added the lines to the chapters that needed them, so it should be clearer to read. That out of the way, enjoy the showdown with Mitsuyo!**

* * *

Mitsuyo Togo was on the phone in her office. She still hadn't heard word from her agents at Yasoinaba that Dojima's case on her had been closed, only postponed because of two murders in the town. The little brat was taking his sweet time; Rise Kujikawa was going to arrive tomorrow, the final preparations were being made. It would be a shame to waste such a handsome specimen, but if he didn't do as he was told, then he'd have to pay the price. It was as simple as that. The man she was talking to hung up, and where one annoyance ended, another began. There was a knock on her door, and her assistant's head popped through the crack.

"Togo-san? Your daughter is here to see you."

"Really? Send her in."

The assistant nodded, opening the door completely and letting Hifumi in before closing the door behind her.

"Hello sweetheart. Is there something wrong? It must be serious if you came to visit me at work."

"It is mother."

It was then that Mitsuyo noticed the card Hifumi was holding. It was bright red and dark black, and on it was a logo of a top hat and a magnifying glass, making it look like an investigating detective.

"This arrived in the mail. It was addressed to you."

Mitsuyo grabbed the card and saw the words on it were cut out from newspapers and glued onto the card. But what concerned her the most was what was written on it.

_To Mitsuyo Togo, the Shogun of Envy._

_We know the truth of what you did to Ami Ito. We know that you were jealous of what she had, so you did everything to destroy her despite everything the two of you went through. We know that you didn't stop there; you have exploited and tortured people for no reason other than because you were jealous of what they achieved. We know that you see your husband and daughter as stepping stones for your vile empire, and you don't care how you manipulate them to make it happen. And we know you will continue to construct an empire of evil for your daughter to inherit, no matter who gets hurt along the way._

_For this, we have decided to take your poisonous heart. We will steal your distorted desires without fail, and make you confess your sins with your own mouth._

_Signed:_

_The Phantom Team._

Mitsuyo froze and for perhaps the first time in her life since she got married, felt fear wrap its cold fingers around her. Ami Ito was a name she hadn't heard in years, and now these people not only claimed to know the woman, but also what happened to her. And now, they just told Mitsuyo they were coming for her.

The world around Hifumi suddenly went dark, and instead of her mother, was her mother's Shadow. She was heaving with fear, but that fear quickly turned to rage. She stared at the card before looking up, her sickly golden eyes staring right at her daughter.

"So the fools wish to challenge me? FINE! Let them join the failures that have tried before! They can give Ami my regards."

The world returned to normal, and Mistuyo crushed the card in her hand. She was so focused on it that she didn't notice her daughter start to slip out. Once Hifumi was out of the room, she bolted through the building and out to the street. Waiting for her was the rest of the Team, but…

"What in the world happened to Yu's face?" Hifumi asked, dumbstruck.

"I got into a fight. Did you deliver it?"

"I did. I don't think I've ever seen Mother that furious before."

"Alright. Then let's get to it."

Music: Life Will Change

The world shifted and swirled, and before long, they were back inside Mitsuyo's Palace, the place pulsing like a heavy heartbeat. The first thing Yu did was have Morgana patch him up, and after that, Yu quickly teleported the group into the Throne Room Safe Room. He could tell that all of them were ready and eager for action. They may have done this before, but that was no excuse to get cocky. As the five exited and arrived at the ornate doors that blocked them from their target, Hifumi cried out to them.

"Guys wait!"

"What is it Venus?" Yu replied.

"The Treasure! It's… it's not in there!"

"WHAT?!"

They opened the doors, and found that it completely lacked all the Shadows that were present before. Not only that, but Hifumi was correct; the only thing in the throne room was the throne itself, vacant.

"Where is it?!" Yu asked as Hifumi began to examine the board and book in Fu Hao's hands.

"It's… in the courtyard!"

"Quick, back to the Safe Room!" Yu ordered.

The Team quickly complied, and their leader teleported them back to the Safe Room that was closest to the courtyard. Sprinting out once again, Hifumi was proven correct once more, as standing in the middle of the snow covered land was Mitsuyo's Shadow, kneeling with a golden mask in front of her. Their footsteps crunched in the snow, and Shadow Mitsuyo grabbed the sword. She stood and turned to face the intruders. Her voice was laced with bile and disgust.

"You damn pigs have given me quite a bit of trouble. Uncovering Ami Ito's connection to me, threatening to expose how I founded my empire, even turning my daughter against me. You thieves have much to answer for."

"You deserve it. How many innocent people lie rotting in jail or have died because of your actions?" Yu asked.

"Have you ever stopped to think that you don't deserve what you have?" Akechi questioned.

"Did you ever, even once, give a single thought to anyone besides yourself?" Morgana accused.

"All the pain you spread, the coffins you filled… was it worth it?" Shiho wondered.

"Did you ever love father? Did you ever love me?" Hifumi finished with pain in her voice.

"Oh… you're a group of _those_ kinds of people; self-righteous, holier-than-thou buffoons who think that everything's black and white. That's probably how he was able to talk you into doing this. I must admit, I'm disappointed. For a moment I thought you were perhaps family of Ami's out for revenge, but now I know the actual reason. You're only doing this because it makes you feel good. Like you actually matter." Shadow Mitsuyo retorted, trying to disguise her anger with boredom.

"We're doing this for justice! You've committed many terrible crimes, and you have to be held accountable!" Akechi retorted.

Shadow Mitsuyo simply rolled her eyes, unimpressed. She turned to Hifumi and tried to give a sweet smile, but it came off as a pained grimace.

"Hifumi, my sweet daughter. Come over to my side, help me destroy these foolish peasants. It's not too late." She cooed.

"Oh, but it is, _mother_. You have forfeited all rights to call me daughter and you have forfeited your place in my heart. I'm going to destroy you, just like you destroyed Aunt Ami. But no one will shed a tear for you." Hifumi replied, bile and venom in her every word.

Shadow Mitsuyo narrowed her eyes, and her mouth turned into a snarl.

"You useless, ungrateful BITCH! I gave birth to you. I created a kingdom for you to inherit. And this is the thanks I get? I should've stuck to my first plan and aborted you when I had the chance. No matter. I will relish the opportunity of putting you in your place, right after I've killed your miserable friends! And then I'll come for your master!"

"Master?" Akechi questioned.

"Venus, get to the Safe Room. You can support us just fine from there." Yu ordered.

With her final burst, Shadow Mitsuyo's skin began to change to tar, her form melting down into a puddle. Yu and the others summoned their Personas, ready this time for whatever may come. The puddle began to swirl in a violent tempest, giving new life to where Shadow Mitsuyo once stood. The shogun was now riding on top of a black steel bull with flaming horns. Shadow Mitsuyo herself was covered in samurai armor made out of black steel, a red cape billowing in the wind, and the mask of a demon covering her face while crimson lanterns dangled from a straw hat. Given that she lacked weapons, it was obvious that her mount was all she thought she needed to end their lives. The bull reared on its hind legs like a horse and bellowed a roar.

"You talk of bringing me to justice?! Of making me accountable for my actions?! Pick a time and place where you want to try to be true to those words. That place will be your tomb."

"Right here! Right now!" Yu retorted.

Music: Blooming Villian

The bull charged at the group, but at Narukami in particular. While everyone else went to get out of the way, Yu instead jumped up and landed on the bull's back, determined to duel and defeat Mitsuyo. But the Shadow was more than ready for him. Bringing her arms up to shield her, Mitsuyo remained seated while her armor and Yu's blade clashed. The Wild Card found himself surprised; the woman was able to parry, block, and redirect his strikes with relative ease, but because of how fast he was, she wasn't able to make good on any opportunities. But the bull was not idle while Yu and its master fought. It began to jump around, desperately trying to buck the intruder. Yu had to regain his footing, but Mitsuyo didn't seem to notice her mount's actions, appearing to be as attached to the bull as a beard would be attached to a face.

Finally, Yu decided to try and gain an advantage.

"Izanagi! Stop this bull!"

The god emerged and threw lightning at the metal monster. As he expected, the lightning stopped the beast, and thanks to the fact that it was made out of metal, it was also conducted to Mitsuyo herself, while Yu himself enjoyed immunity. It was enough to stop them, and Yu raised his blade to strike. But what came next was a surprise. Not only did Mitsuyo recover much faster than Yu thought she would, but when she brought her arm up to block him, electricity coated her armor. Thanks to Izanagi, Yu was immune to any damage, but he was put off just enough for the bull to finally buck him off. Skidding across the ground, the bull charged to gore the student, but Izanagi was faster.

"Alright, let's try this again." Yu muttered as he repositioned himself onto Izanagi's back.

Once again, Izanagi unleashed a powerful lightning bolt, but this time, the bull seemed to absorb the attack, not acknowledging it got hit in any way. Narrowing his eyes at Yu, the fire on the bull's horns flared up. Without warning, dozens of fireballs flew at him, and it took everything Izanagi had to dodge as many as he did. But a few managed to land, sending Izanagi to the ground. Luckily, Boudica was there to catch him. After setting her leader down gently, Shiho turned her Persona's power on her enemy. A fireball was unleashed, and a blistering inferno engulfed Mitsuyo's mount. But Mitsuyo recovered with ease, and attacked with a blast of curse magic, which caused Shiho to scream in pain. But the volleyball player was made of stronger stuff, and launched another fireball at the bull. This time, Mitsuyo didn't even have to recover; the flames seemed to get absorbed and fused with the metal bull's skin. Yu saw that Akechi and Morgana were moving to attack, and he called out to them.

"Guys wait! Whatever attacks her, she becomes immune to!" He informed them, causing them to stop in their tracks. But then he heard Hifumi's voice.

"No she doesn't!"

"What are you talking about? Pariah and I just hit her, and now our attacks aren't having any effect on her."

"That's not true. She gets immunity to whatever hit her last, but she can only hold one immunity at a time."

"Wait really?"

"I'm positive. After you hit her with Izanagi, her immunity was to lightning, and after Boudicca's attack, it went to fire. There's something else too, but I haven't been able to figure it out yet. Buy me some time."

"Interesting. I wonder if…"

Yu issued commands to his team members.

"Carmen, hit her with your weakest wind attack then get ready for an All-Out Attack! Everyone else get ready too!"

Morgana summoned Lady Trieu and as she was told. As expected, the attack had little effect, but that wasn't what he was interested in. Instead, he called upon Izanagi once more and ordered him to attack. And what happened next made the Wild Card smile. Mitsuyo was completely off guard, and the rampaging bull was finally stopped, lying helpless on the ground. As Yu suspected; when she got immunity to one element, she got weak to another. This was their chance, and they knew it. The team launched up into the air, weapons and Persona at the ready. Before Mitsuyo could register what was happening, the group unleashed a merciless barrage of attacks. When the dust settled, the bull was covered in scratches and dents. Mitsuyo let out a groan as her mount got back up, and the glare she gave the team was almost enough to rival Sae's. Almost.

"Alright you little runts. Now you've really gone and pissed me off."

All of the armor suddenly exploded off the bull, revealing its skeleton, as black as the outer shell with one exception; its heart, which glowed an angry red. Robin Hood launched an arrow at it, but the bull proved to be much faster now. So much so that when it moved, the Team only saw a blur in its place. Akechi didn't even have the chance to register it was coming for him before getting hit. The two steel horns successfully gored him, spilling his intestines everywhere and sending the body flying. Before Yu could even make the order, Morgana was already casting Dia on him, saving his life. Mitsuyo turned to Yu, and charged, aiming for the leader's heart.

"Shiisaa!" Yu cried, summoning a creature that looked like a mix between a dog and a lion. When the bull hit, the Persona allowed Yu to actually withstand the attack, sending him back like he had been shoved. He still felt hurt from the damage done, but now it was like hitting a brick wall rather than a person.

The bull, seeing this, hit Yu's Persona again and again, like a battering ram. Yu could feel his concentration begin to crack and Mitsuyo's pet wailed on him without mercy. Suddenly, an arrow flew by, slicing through the horns like a hot knife through butter. The mechanical beast was suddenly left without weapons, and it turned to a still recovering Akechi in fury. But before it could charge to attack the teenage detective and Morgana, Yu grabbed Mitsuyo and pulled, hoping the steel beast wasn't a part of the Shadow. In the end his hope was not in vain, as he was able to successfully pull Mitsuyo off from her mount. The bull stopped dead in its tracks, unsure of what to do without its mistress. Shiho took advantage, summoning Boudicca and letting loose a fireball, this time hitting the generator that was where its heart was supposed to be. The monster spazzed and sparks flew from the impact before it glowed a bright hot red.

"TAKE COVER!" Akechi yelled, he and Morgana turning and running as fast as they could.

A small nuclear explosion went off in the middle of the courtyard, sending everyone flying. A good few minutes went by before Yu opened his eyes and started to force himself to stand up.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked

"Everyone's pieces are still on the board Seeker. Though in what condition, I don't know." Hifumi answered.

Yu began to hear groans of pain. The air was arid, the ground was as black as oil, and ash was starting to fall. As his vision started to come into focus, he saw his other teammates start to get up, but he found Mitsuyo's form was absent. He began to look around, and a sense of dread began to envelop him when his search proved fruitless.

"Everyone form up on me! This isn't over yet."

The others slowly made their way to him, where he brought out Oyamada's meds. The Tricksters took one each and each of them gagged as they swallowed, but the pills did their job nonetheless. Out of the corner of his eye, Yu saw movement. He gestured to everyone to form a circle, and they obeyed just as Mitsuyo spoke.

"Never, in all my years have I met children as stubborn and annoying as you brats. I've managed to deal with each and every opponent of mine with swift and brutal efficiency. But you four have somehow managed to irritate me more than every other person I've fought combined. Though, in the end, I suppose it will make my victory all the sweeter."

Suddenly, a figure landed in front of Yu. No one had any doubt it was Mitsuyo, but how she looked now was far different before. In place of her splendid and highly decorated armor were grey and tattered rags. Her Treasure, which was once proudly displayed, was now sheathed and concealed behind her back. Her hands, once delicate and smooth, were now covered with puss, warts, and nails long enough to scrape the floor. But the biggest change of all, was her face. Her once beautiful eyes and nose were gone completely, replaced by a mouth that stretched from her forehead to her chin. The maw that was now almost entirely her face was far from pleasant. Her teeth were rows of needles, each one yellowed by neglect, while her gums were blackened, and her tongue was forked and long like a snake's.

"Enough talk Mitsuyo. It's time to end this." Yu declared, calling upon Izanagi.

"Yes. It is."

Mitsuyo clapped her hands, and suddenly smoke erupted on three different points in the ground. And when it cleared, the Team found itself facing three more Mitsuyos, each clone an exact replica of the original. Izanagi fired a bolt of lightning at the first Mitsuyo, but it passed right through her, leaving only a gap of air in her, like she was made of smoke. The "wound" quickly healed, and the first Mitsuyo raised her hand

"You can't hit us. But we can surely hit you."

Shortly after she said that, a cluster of ice launched from her hand, which knocked Yu back. The other three began to advance, and the Team began to back up, and Yu called out to them.

"Can anyone see any difference between these four?" Yu asked as he got back up.

"None. They're all completely identical to the real one." Akechi replied. Another Mitsuyo fired a burst of pink orbs at Akechi, while Shiho got hit by thunder from a second Mitsuyo, and Morgana was hit with fire by a third.

"Venus, can you find out which one's the real deal?" Yu asked as the fourth Mitsuyo began to attack with physical attacks.

"None of them. They're all fake. I've been trying to find the real one. Give me time, I can find her."

Yu began to launch a counter attack, but just like before, it was like he was hitting air.

_Alright, let's shake things up_

"Succubus!" Yu cried out, calling forth the scantily dressed demon

"Mudo!"

A straw doll appeared in front of the Mitsuyo that was currently fighting Akechi. The clone looked down in confusion as the needle poked the doll.

"Ace, get up to the rooftop and wait for Venus to tell you where Mitsuyo is."

"Is this thing supposed to kill me?" It asked right before the doll exploded, destroying it for a brief moment before it managed to reform itself. But in that moment, Akechi did exactly what Yu told him to do.

The detective sprinted away from the battlefield, and his Mitsuyo faced Yu, ready for some payback. Creating holes in the walls with Robin Hood, Akechi scaled the walls easily. Like a sniper waiting for the target to get in just the right position, he stayed where he was as the Team tried in vain to hold their ground from the fake Mitsuyos' onslaught. Finally, he heard Hifumi's voice.

"Found her! She's in the center of the courtyard, behind the others!"

Akechi looked where Hifumi told him to look. After a few moments, he saw a small spot that seemed… off, like a mirror designed to distort whatever it reflected. He called upon his Persona.

"Aim true Robin!"

The archer let loose another arrow, and Akechi's observations proved correct. The invisibility faded instantly, and the real Mitsuyo let out a blood-curdling shriek. The fake Mitsuyos suddenly melted like wax, and Yu looked at the owner of the Palace. Mitsuyo was on her knees, her massive maw taking deep, haggard breaths.

"Damn you. Damn all of you, you worthless brats."

She forced herself to get back up, stubborn to the very end. Opening her maw in a way that shouldn't have even been possible, the monster spewed an incredibly thick smog that expanded much faster than normal smoke could've. It wasn't long until no one in the courtyard could see anything that wasn't right in front of their faces. She turned towards Yu and before anyone could do anything, the woman dashed forward, her long claws sinking into Yu's chest, but able to do minimal damage on account of Shiisaa. But then she went after Shiho, who had no such protection. Despite the armor of her outfit, the razor sharp nails were just as dangerous as the bull. As Shiho screamed, Morgana quickly felt agony as her torso's skin was ripped next by Mitsuyo.

"Hang on! I'm coming down there!" Akechi informed, jumping down. Shortly after, he himself felt the stinging pain of Mitsuyo's talons tearing his flesh. Yu was attacked next, followed by Morgana, then Akechi, then Shiho, then Shiho again, then Morgana, then Akechi, then Yu.

"Venus, can't you tell us where she is?" Shiho asked.

"I'm trying, but whatever she's done has obscured her from Fu Hao too. I can only detect her when she hits one of you!"

The leader tried to formulate a plan, but Mitsuyo's constant attacks kept him too occupied to think of one. The smoke completely obscured his vision, and with each attack his teammates were slowly being pushed away from each other, Morgana trying her best to keep everyone healed. But she couldn't keep it up forever, and Yu knew it.

"Guys, there's a pattern to her attack!" Hifumi quickly informed.

"Really?" Yu asked.

"She's coming for Ace next!"

Akechi turned his head around, and just like Hifumi said, Mitsuyo was charging right at him. Before she had the chance to cleave him with her nails, Akechi struck first, slashing her twice with his laser sword before hitting her with a thrust. The Shadow let out a cry of pain, and this time, the Team followed. Shiho called upon Boudicca, who unleashed a fireball like she was a baseball pitcher. The flame streaked across the courtyard, acting as a beacon for the others. Mitsuyo narrowly dodged it, but everyone saw where she was. Yu unleashed Shiisaa, and the Persona bounded forth to its target, sinking its double fangs into the Shadow, an attack that also doubled as a critical hit. By now, the whole Phantom Team had assembled, and awaited Yu's word to finish this.

"Everyone! All-Out Attack!"

The four jumped into the air and attacked on all sides, unleashing the full power of their Personas upon the defenseless Shadow. When they were done, Mitsuyo let out a pitiful groan and fell to the floor, defeated at last, the thick smoke disappearing altogether as her power waned. Her form vanished, leaving her and before long, only Mitsuyo's original Shadow self remained. The woman was still breathing, and her yukata, face, and hair showed no sign of damage at all.

"Venus, it's safe to come out now. If you have any final words, now's the time." Yu told his teammate as he picked up the Treasure. Hifumi bolted out of the building, running to her mother, who forced herself to get to her knees.

"Mother!" Hifumi cried out, worried that Mitsuyo would try something, but when the Shadow opened her mouth, it sounded like it was a strain to even breathe.

"Hifumi… why? What did the… Puppet Master… offer to turn you… against your own mother? Mitsuyo mewled weakly, laboring to even breathe.

"The Puppet Master? Who's that?" Morgana asked, speaking the question on everyone's minds.

"Oh please. I was… his loyal servant. I know he's behind… the mental shutdowns, you don't have to… cover for him. Before you do to me… what you did to those people, I want to know… why."

"The mental shutdowns?!" Akechi gasped, and Mitsuyo looked at him like he grew three heads.

"Yes, the mental shutdowns! Stop playing coy, and!…" Mitsuyo stopped whatever she was saying, and her eyes widened. Suddenly, she spoke with power in her words, as if something had miraculously rejuvenated her.

"You… you five really _don't_ know who the Puppet Master is. Oh, you poor, unfortunate children."

Mitsuyo turned to Hifumi, her face looking genuinely apologetic. The Shadow looked at the ground, unable to look her child in the eyes.

"Hifumi. I'm so sorry. For how I've treated you and your father. For what I did to Ami. But I'm even more sorry that I won't be able to protect you from what he's going to do to you."

She then turned to Yu, her sickly yellow orbs staring right at his own grey ones.

"As for you, I'd tell you to run as far and as fast as you can, but you've already stepped into the Puppet Master's web. You'll be gobbled up by all the spiders before you even realize how hopeless your situation is."

"Mother…" Hifumi whispered, but there was no hatred in the word. Not any more.

"Enjoy time with your father while you can Hifumi. As for the rest of you… I wish you luck in surviving the hell you're about to walk into."

And with those final, haunting words, Shadow Mitsuyo Togo faded. And shortly after, the ground began to rumble. Morgana pointed upwards, and everyone gasped at what they saw. The mountain was beginning to shake, and an avalanche had begun. And it was getting close to them very quickly.

"Everyone, back to the entrance, NOW!" Yu ordered, having Izanagi break down the two front doors. As quickly as they could, the group ran across the narrow bridge in single-file. But they weren't fast enough. The fortress behind them was flattened by the avalanche, and the rock it was built on began to fracture. Once that happened, it wasn't long until the bridge broke, the ropes only being held up on one side. The bridge quickly became a ladder, and, much to Yu's relief, everyone was able to hang on. The rumbling continued, so the Tricksters climbed with all of their strength, with Yu being the first one to reach the top.

But the shaking continued, and when he looked up, and saw the mountain that they were now scaling was also having an avalanche. Summoning Izanagi, Yu had the god grab and haul up the others as fast as possible. Shiho and Akechi were brought up when the avalanche was halfway there. When Morgana was brought up, it would hit them in a matter of seconds. Finally, Hifumi was brought up, and Yu saw the snow descend upon them as they just barely managed to reach the entrance of the Palace.


	53. Cleaning up the Mess

"I don't care, I want guards established around the clock!" Mitsuyo Togo yelled into her phone. By now, the evening crew would start to move in, and Mitsuyo would start to head back to her home. But she simply could not take this risk. At first she thought this "Phantom Team" was the execution squad of the Puppet Master, but she did some research into them and found out it wasn't the case. Apparently, they already went after a man named Kobayakawa, and the man was alive. In prison, but alive. But she couldn't go to prison, and if she somehow did, she'd need someone to bail her out. Someone like a well-known and popular detective. She started to dial another number.

"Emiko, it's me."

"Yea boss? What's up?"

"I want you to arrange a meeting with Yu Narukami I want you to tell him…"

Before the business woman could speak, she felt a sudden headache strike her. There was a terrible pounding in her skull that vanished as quickly as it came. There was a slight pause as Mitsuyo considered her next words. The card caused her to start… reflecting… on her life… and what she did during it. She felt a small tear cascade down her face. She thought about all the people who begged her for mercy, of all the grieving families at the funerals she had to attend. Of Ami Ito, and how she forgave Mitsuyo in her final moments. Another tear went down her flawless skin. Perhaps… enough was enough.

"Tell him he's off the hook. Dojima doesn't have to close the case on me."

Mitsuyo heard Emiko spit out her drink.

"FUCKING _**WHAT**_?!"

"You heard me. Yu's off the hook."

"... Ok, what drugs are you on? Because if they're making you do this, then I want some."

"No drugs. Let him know Emiko. I've got a lot to do. Goodbye."

Mitsuyo hung up on Emiko, and began to call someone else.

"Yea boss?"

"Suki… I need you to call Rise-san. Let her know her appointment tomorrow has been canceled. We're going to do something else."

"R-really? Are you sure boss? We're going to lose a ton of yen if we do that."

"I know. Instead, we're going to hold a press conference. There's… an announcement I need to make."

"Alright boss. I don't know what you're planning, but I'll get it done."

"Thank you Suki. And… I'm sorry for what I made you do."

Suki said nothing in reply as she hung up on her boss. Yes… there was much to do. So much to make up for.

* * *

The crushing of the massive snow never came. Instead, the Phantom Team was hit by a surge of heat. They looked around, and saw that they were in the real world, right outside Togo News Station, posing like they were in BroBro's Bizarre Adventure. Once they realized that, they all simultaneously went back to normal postures, like a group of children trying to act normal when a parent walked in. Yu slowly slinked back into the alley, and the others quickly followed, all of them eager to try and get out of public view. That's when Yu felt something cut his wrist. Flinging it upwards, Yu saw that the thing that pricked him was the diamond… on a ring. Hifumi let out a gasp.

"That's… that's mother's ring! What happened to the mask?!"

"Oh, that's right, we didn't tell you; when we exit to the real world with the Treasure, it takes the form of whatever started them down the path that led to their ambitions. They still possess the original, but the duplicate is authentic in every way." Yu explained, showing her the new item.

"I see. So she started to create her empire the moment she said 'I do'." Hifumi replied, grabbing the ring. She turned, ready to throw it, but Yu grabbed her wrist before she could chuck it into the crowds.

"She's different Hifumi. The fact that we have her ring is proof we succeeded."

Hifumi lowered her arm, still looking at the object in question.

"So what do we do with this?"

"I know a guy that might buy it. Or at least the diamond. We can use that money to celebrate."

"We should at least wait until her confession. No need to hold a celebration without a real cause." Akechi suggested.

"Guess that means we'll hold out until at least tomorrow. By then, one way or another, our fight with Mitsuyo will be over. Head home everyone, get what rest you can." Yu stated with finality.

* * *

Kaneshiro was busy chomping away at donuts when Narukami walked into the store. The detective raised a curious eyebrow as the teenager approached, eating his last donut whole. Yu reached into his pocket as the detective ate rather loudly and obnoxiously, and before he pulled out what he had, he looked around for anyone who could be watching. Luckily, it was late at night, so no one was around. Kaneshiro gulped loudly as Yu revealed the mystery item; the wedding ring. The corrupt cop smiled widely.

"My my my kid. Didn't know you liked taking it up the ass. Not that I'm complaining, means less competition for me. The answer's 'no' by the way"

"This isn't a proposal. Do you know how much this ring is worth, or at a rough estimate?"

Kaneshiro looked it over, gave a noncommittal shrug, and turned back to Yu, trying to look bored.

"Not really. But I know someone who does. I'll take it for about… 10K yen."

Yu frowned. He had enough knowledge to know the ring's worth was more than tripled that amount.

"Look at the diamond. That's enough for at least 100K." Yu pointed out. Upon realizing he got called out, Kaneshiro frowned for only the briefest of moments before his smirk returned.

"Alright, alright, you got me there. But why should I take the risk? Whoever bought this must have paid a pretty penny, and they're bound to come looking for it."

"Would you believe me if I told you I found it on the floor?"

Kaneshiro turned serious, scanning Yu's face for any hint of deception. He could tell the teenager wasn't completely honest, but also realized what Yu was trying to tell him; that no one would come for the ring. The fat law enforcer leaned back in his chair.

"I'll give you fifty K." He said curtly.

"Fifty-five." Yu tried to argue, but Kaneshiro narrowed his eyes.

"Fifty. That's the deal, take it or leave it."

"… Fine."

Yu tossed him the ring, and Kaneshiro tossed him the cash. With nothing else to do, Yu proceeded to head straight towards the door, making sure to count the money. Before he managed to get out, however, Kaneshiro called out to him.

"Oh, and kid?"

"What?"

"I've gotten myself a lead on our criminal problem. Come with me, we're going to a… very special arena."

Yu shot him a suspicious glare, but Kaneshiro ignored it as he got up and walked towards the teenager, leaving behind his badge and equipment.

"Come on, I'm sure a kid of your age will be… entertained where we're going."

* * *

Yu and Kaneshiro found themselves in the underbelly of the city. The streets here were filthy, and the homeless could be found everywhere. The place they were at specifically was tucked away in an alley, the steel door guarded by a giant of a man. He looked at the pair but did nothing else. Kaneshiro acknowledged the door man with a nod.

"I'm here to tell the boss I grilled the goods."

The man at the door smiled, and gave a rhythmic knock on the door. As it opened, he replied.

"Just the way she likes them. Who's this?"

"My assistant. Don't worry, if he rats, I'll put a bullet in him, and then myself."

And with that, the two were let into the building. Yu saw the staircase go down, and as he descended into the bowels of the place, he heard yelling down below. He turned back to the cop, who didn't seem phased by the noises at all.

"What is this place Kaneshiro?"

"This place is called the Pit. It's where people go to see half-naked women beat the shit out of each other." Kaneshiro answered matter-of-factly.

Yu's eyes turned to saucers when he heard that. Before he could ask Kaneshiro if he was serious, they reached the bottom of the stairs, and Yu saw that Kaneshiro did not exaggerate in the slightest. There, right in front of him, was an arena. And fighting in the arena were two women; one of who dressed in a bikini, and the other in a skimpy maid outfit. The maid jumped up, and trapped the face of the bikini girl between her thighs and under her crotch. The crowd went wild at the erotic display. And Yu was… intrigued as well.

**Want me to get a better look?**

_Sure, why not?_

Izanagi was released, and he made straight for the women. Kaneshiro tapped him on the shoulder.

"Pretty nice view huh?" He asked with a satisfied smirk.

"I suppose…"

Kaneshiro let out a hearty laugh before gesturing to the side with his head.

"That's nothing. One chick, Kawakami I think her name was, was once the top fighter for this place."

That piqued Yu's interest.

"Really? What was she doing here?"

"Don't really know why, but I do know she knew how to rock the maid outfit. Now come on. You can gawk at the hot ladies later. Right now, we have stuff to do."

Yu followed the cop into a private room where an elderly couple were waiting. The two of them smiled when Kaneshiro entered, both looking like they were seeing an old friend.

"Kaneshiro! It's been too long you sly dog!"

"Don't I know it. Yu Salami, meet Toshio and Hiromi Takase. This is my assistant, Yu Salami."

"Salami?" The man, Toshio asked in total confusion.

"Yea. He's not from around here. Anyway, I've been hearing some… troubling reports that the old boss' daughter is back."

"You heard right. Word on the street is that she hasn't gotten the warmest of welcomes. Only a handful of people went to her, while everyone else is with Iwai or someone else. I suspect it won't be long until she starts to get desperate."

"I see. Anything else?"

"Only that there's a storm coming Kaneshiro. And given how it turned out last time you got caught in it, I advise you seek some shelter."

"I'll take it to heart."

Kaneshiro stretched his back and let out a yawn.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going. Thanks for seeing me."

"Sure thing. But be careful Kaneshiro. When you did what you did, we came out on top, but you ended up costing a lot of people. Watch your back."

"Will do."

The two of them left the room, and Yu saw that the maid was now battling a woman in a slutty cop outfit. There seemed to be something familiar about the one in the maid uniform, but Yu could wait until he was done with Kaneshiro to satisfy his curiosity.

"So Kaneshiro… why did you need to bring me again? It looked like you could've done all of this on your own time."

"Oh that's easy. I need you to find out what they _didn't_ tell me." Kanishero answered.

"What? It sounded like they answered all of your questions."

"Oh I know, but they left out certain… details."

"How could you possibly know that? They said that they benefited from what they did."

"Yea, but I'm still both a cop and a known liar. They're not telling me everything, trust me."

"And you need me to figure out what they're not telling you?"

"Bingo."

"And just how do you expect me to find out?"

"Well kid, you managed to find genuine precious gems from somewhere, and found a one hundred thousand yen diamond on the ground. I'd say that just learning a few secrets should be easy."

Yu fought the urge to roll his eyes, even though it would make perfect sense from Kaneshiro's eyes.

"I'll be waiting outside." Kaneshiro informed Yu, heading towards the exit.

_Alright Izanagi, you know the drill._

**Awwww, and the fight was just getting good.**

The god of Japan flew swiftly through the walls, where Toshio Takasi was busy dialing on his cell phone. Yu found a place to sit, and closed his eyes, focusing his mind to look solely through the eyes of his inner self. Before long, it was like he never left.

"Hey boss it's me. Your ex just came by, asking about you. Apparently someone tipped him off about you being back in the game. No, I didn't tell him about the Takeba Group. I know, and don't worry, I'll keep you informed about any developments."

Yu recalled his Persona just as the battle in the arena ended. The words "BESSY! WINNER!" flashed on the screens, and a ton of people began to cheer. That's when they showed a close-up of her face. It wasn't someone that he knew, but she was certainly a woman of immense beauty. Perhaps if he came here just one year earlier, he'd come back for some… entertainment. But as it was now, he simply had too little free time, and a woman of his own to take care of. Sprinting to the exit, he found Kaneshiro waiting for him on the street.

"Well, that was awfully fast."

"They're apparently working for your former girlfriend. They didn't say much, but they did say they didn't tell you about the Takeba Group."

Kaneshiro's face went into a scowl at the mention of the Takeba Group.

"Shit. Alright kid, thanks for the info. I trust you can find your own way back." Kaneshiro said, turning to leave

"Hold up. What's this about the Takeba Group?" Yu asked, grabbing Kaneshiro's arm.

"You serious Narukami? You ain't got any idea what the Takeba Group is?"

Yu stared at the cop, not even opening his mouth. Kaneshiro let out a groan.

"Kid, you've gotta be living under a rock not to hear about them. The Takeba Group is the most powerful corporation in Asia, and the third most powerful corporation in the world. If they're somehow getting mixed up with the criminal underworld… it's gonna be bad kid." Kaneshiro answered, deadly serious for the first time since Yu met him.

"How bad?"

"Worst case scenario: A gang war with Takeba Group equipment. If that happens, thousands of innocent people could die."

"And best case scenario?"

"They're just stealing Takeba money. If that's the case, the Group will deal with the gangs themselves. The guys may have enough yen to wipe their asses with, but that doesn't mean they like sharing. Head home kid. I'll call you when I need you."

With his job done, Yu went back to the apartment, determined to get there before nine. But also made sure to shoot a text to his favorite detective.

Yu: Hey Akechi, I've been meaning to ask, what exactly was the blackmail material that Kobayakawa had on Kawakami?

Akechi: That's a rather interesting case Yu. See, don't tell anyone this of course, but your homeroom teacher once led a double life as a wrestler in an underground club.

Yu: Really? That's… interesting. Any idea where?

Akechi: I'm not going to tell you that. But I will tell you the circumstances that led to her getting there. When she first moved here, she was a rather naive country girl, and quickly found herself taken advantage of. Before long, she acquired a sizable debt, and had to pay it off. She had to choose between either prostitution or that fight club.

Yu: And she chose fighting?

Akechi: Yup. Turns out her father was an ex-soldier, and she paid back her debt in no time. I've been told that she was rather popular there.

_Jeeze. What's up with me and getting to know warrior women?_

Yu: Wow. So what did Kobayakawa make her do?

Akechi: It was rather tame, believe it or not. He forced her to work at several different charities and attend different events. Of course she'd _have_ to make sure everyone knew she was from Shujin, but it also took a massive toll on her health because of how frequent such events were.

Yu: Wow. So after Kobayakawa was locked away, she went back to just teaching?

Akechi: Correct.

Yu: I see. Any idea where to find her previous workplace? I need to know for… research purposes.

Yu of course knew where to find it, but he was curious if Akechi would tell him.

Akechi: … Good night Yu.

* * *

Hifumi arrived at the hospital. She had come to see not just her father, but also her mother. Shortly after she started her trip home she received a text from her mother, asking her to come to her father's room. It said that Mitsuyo had something to tell both her and her father though the exact word she used was… confess. And so, here she was. Knocking on the door to the room that housed her almost dead father, she heard a voice tell her to enter.

She found her mother sitting by her father's side. Her eyes were puffy and red, and Hifumi saw the stains of tears on her face. Her father, by comparison, was looking far better than he had in years, as if removing Mitsuyo's distorted desires also magically cured whatever ailed Kaito. In fact, Hifumi was sure he'd be able to leave and maybe even walk within the week. The two turned to their daughter.

"Hifumi… you came." Mitsuyo gasped, and her voice was hoarse, like it was tired out from all of the crying.

"I did mother. I'm curious what these confessions are." Hifumi replied, trying to hide the excitement from her voice.

"Yes. The truth is… I haven't been the best mother to you, nor have I been the best wife to your father."

And from there Mitsuyo told Hifumi everything the girl already knew. The murder of Ami Ito, what she used Kaito's money for, all the people she wronged, and what her plans for Hifumi were. Hifumi was sure that if she hadn't already exhausted all of her tears beforehand, she would have weeped a thousand times over.

"Is that everything?" Hifumi asked.

"Yes. I know I must have said it over a hundred times, but I'm _so_ sorry. I know that's not enough to warrant forgiveness, so tomorrow, I intend to make a public confession before turning myself into the police. Here."

Mitsuyo reached to her left and and after some effort, slid her wedding ring off her finger, and placed it in the lap of Kaito.

"I don't deserve this."

Kaito looked right into his wife's soul as he took the ring. For the first time for as long as she could remember, Hifumi heard her father issue a command.

"Get. Out."

Mitsuyo numbly obeyed, borderline running out of the hospital room. Before she could make it though, Hifumi stopped her.

"Wait. Aunt Ami. Did she have any final words?" The teenager asked.

Mitsuyo paused, her eyes darting as she recalled the event that happened so long ago.

"She told me she didn't know what she did to deserve what happened to her, but she was sorry nonetheless. In her final moments, I explained everything. She smiled and told me… she forgave me."

With those words, she closed the door, and Kaito let out a massive sigh.

"Well. It would seem congratulations are in order. I don't know how you did it, and frankly, I don't want to know, but you made her confess to her crimes And soon, the world will know all of them. You know that with your mother in jail, and me bedridden, you will be the one people turn to when they want answers."

"I know. I am prepared."

"No you're not. And you shouldn't be. You're far too young for such things."

"Well, young or no, I'll have to be ready, because you can't protect me anymore."

Kaito said nothing, but simply nodded.

"I wish I was stronger Hifumi. That there was more I could teach you."

"It's ok father. I'm strong enough, and so is what you've already taught me. It's gotten me this far."

"Yes. I suppose it is."

The two hugged, with Kaito giving his daughter a kiss on the forehead before bidding her goodnight and goodbye.

* * *

When Yu arrived back at the apartment, he found Makoto waiting for him.

"About time. I've got some meds that should help with… your…"

Makoto's next words died in her mouth as she looked upon the fully healed face of Yu Narukami.

"What the… but how… what did you… huh?" She sputtered, unable to form complete sentences. Yu tried, and failed, to suppress his smirk at seeing her brain melt as it tried to figure out just how he was able to heal so quickly.

"Ummm… can you explain… how you managed to remove any and all traces that you were in a fight?"

"I visited a doctor. Got some meds." Yu hastily explained.

"Ok, but…"

Makoto just stood there, her mouth gaping open as she tried to find the right words.

"Ok, you know what? Fine. I was going to suggest you get some meds of my own to start healing quicker. Whatever you did, I'm glad it worked so fast. The last thing we need is Sis to hear that you got into a fight at school."

"Yea. I'll get kicked out for sure."

"Oh, I'm not worried about you, you'll be fine. It's Sakamoto-kun I'd be worried about."

"Really?"

"Yes. Ever since dad died, Sis has protected me with the ferocity of a starving mama bear, and that protection is extended to anyone she considers family, like Akechi. And for this year, you're family."

"Really? Thanks." Yu replied with genuine warmth.

"It's true. Anyway, there are only a handful of times I've seen Sis lose control; the first was when I've gotten picked on."

"Hold up. You've been picked on?"

"Believe it or not, yes. It was during freshman year of Shujin, before Akechi and I even met. Three senpai saw me as the nerdy book girl and thought I'd be easy pickings. And for a few weeks, I was. They'd give me atomic wedgies, swirlies in toilets they just used and didn't flush, titty twisters, everything."

"And you let them get away with it?" Yu asked in disbelief.

"I was a first year, I was afraid of fighting back and getting into trouble so early in the year. Didn't want to build a reputation as a trouble-maker. And one time they picked on me outside of school, and Ryuji of all people came to help me, even though he was still in junior high. After that, they stuck to just school. One day, they gave me a wedgie so bad it tore my panties. Sis came to pick me up, since back then she didn't have as much work, and as we walked to the entrance of the apartment complex, a breeze came by. You can imagine what happened next."

"I imagine Sae-san wasn't all that happy about seeing her sister going commando."

"Yup. When she dragged me back into the car and demanded an explanation, I broke down and told her everything. When I was done, she asked for the names, and I gave them."

"What happened then?"

"She left me at the apartment, told me to make my own dinner, and that she'd be back tomorrow morning. When we got to Shujin, the three girls were waiting for me. I expected them to begin their routine, but they instead began to apologize, and it didn't take a genius to find out why. Their noses were broken, there were bruises all across their bodies, and their faces were swollen from being beaten. And they refused to say who did that to them. Shortly after, they all transferred to different schools."

"Wow." Was all Yu could say as the image formed in his head.

"Yea. And if Sis was willing to go that far on girls who picked on me, imagine what she'd do to poor Sakamoto-kun when, or rather if, she found out he fought you."

Yu let out a loud gulp. He'd experienced Sae's fury first-hand, and he certainly didn't wish that on someone he fought because of a misunderstanding.

"Yea. Not a pretty image." Makoto said in response.

"What… what do you think Sae-san would do to us if we fought each other?"

"Depends on who started it and why. Chances are she'd probably spank the one she thought deserved it the most."

"Spank? She wouldn't give 'private lessons'?"

"Those are to teach you to respect and fear her. Spankings are meant to discipline you. And it's very effective."

"Speaking from experience?" Yu teased.

"I once made the mistake of copying Akechi-kun's essay for a piece of homework. Ushimaru-sensei found out, informed Sis, and when I got home, she proceeded to assault my behind without mercy." Makoto let out a whince, as if speaking about the incident brought back the pain it gave.

"Jeez. She really knows how to go full Niijimom."

Makoto let out an explosive laugh at his choice of words.

"NIIJIMOM! HAHAHA!"

"What? It's true." Yu replied with a small smile.

"Yea, hehe, I suppose it is. But it's because she does care. She might not show it all the time, but it's true."

There was a short pause as Makoto put her medicine away.

"In any event, I'm glad you're alright. I'll get started on dinner."

Yu gave a nod and returned to his room, eager and anxious for what will happen tomorrow.


	54. Fallout

The whole school day went by without much incident. Most of the rumor mill had been consumed by how the interview with Rise was cancelled, and a lot of her fanboys were less than pleased. But Yu kept his eye on the news. Hifumi had sent them all a text telling them that her mother confessed to both her and her father what she did. Not only that, but she planned on holding a press conference in place of the Rise interview. Once the school day was over, Yu walked away from school to the main Shibuya square, just in time to see one of the big screens lit up. And there she was. Mitsuyo Togo.

"Hello everyone. I hope you're all having a lovely day. I'm aware that many of you are incredibly upset that you didn't get to see me interview Kujikawa-san. The truth is that… I have the need to talk. To confess."

Yu looked behind him and saw the others run to where he was, all of them ready for the woman on the screen to continue.

"I have been a truly vile woman. My crimes are numerous, but just to name a few; I have committed murder, blackmail, kidnapping, bribery, and forging information. For the past fifteen years, I've done nothing but ruin lives for no reason other than because I was jealous."

Mitsuyo began to break down and sob.

"I even murdered my best friend. Mistreated my husband, and tried to turn my own daughter into a slave."

Several people were letting out murmurs at what she was saying, but there were a few people who looked bored.

"I'm… I'm so SOOORRY!" Mitsuyo wailed, unable to control herself any more.

"I'M GOING TO TURN MYSELF OVER TO THE POLICE, AND LET JUSTICE RUN ITS COURSE!"

The people in the crowd were starting to get rowdy. A few were voicing their disbelief of just how genuine she was, some were outright booing her, and some were wondering out loud why Rise's interview wasn't cancelled sooner. But for Yu and his team, the noise provided the perfect cover. The Tricksters turned to each other, each one grinning from ear to ear.

"WOOHOO!" Shiho yelled, jumping into the air.

"We did it!" Akechi declared pumping his fist into the air.

"Another day, another stolen heart." Morgana stated smugly, as if the accomplishment was as mundane and easy as walking. Yu felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and he made sure to put the caller on speaker.

"We are victorious. Good has prevailed." Hifumi calmly stated.

"Good job everyone! When's everyone available to celebrate?" Yu asked.

True, they all knew that this moment was coming, it didn't lessen the sweetness of success. It was like cooking good food; you can watch the meal get ready, even see it in its completed state, but until you ate it, tasted the fruits of your labor, the satisfaction would never be whole.

"Celebration?" Hifumi asked.

"Yuuuup! We went to a buffet when we defeated Kobayakawa!" Shiho informed.

"I see…"

"Hey, why so down?" Morgana asked.

"With my father still in the hospital, and my mother soon to be in custody, I'm going to have to have a press confrence of my own, to answer any questions."

"When will this conference be?" Akechi asked, concerned.

"Tomorrow, I imagine."

"Can't you postpone it?" Shiho almost whined.

"No. The sooner I get it over with, the better."

"Alright. And if you start to get overwhelmed… we'll see what we can do." Yu clumsily replied.

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

* * *

Sae Niijima, unlike most people, was grateful when news of Rise's arrival being canceled reached her. Never before had she been so happy to see paperwork get put through the shredder. Despite what Narukami told her, Sae was not at all eager to meet the idol and spend her day guarding the stalker-magnet. But not only that, the cancellation allowed her to focus on work. Work that she almost finished. Maybe now she could finally go home at a reasonable hour. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by a buzz from her desk. A buzz that could only mean her boss wanted to see her. Groaning as she forced herself to finish before moving to the director's office, Sae braced herself for whatever menial task was about to be dumped on her. Her superior looked at her like he was looking at a cemetery, as he always did. Sae noticed that his widescreen TV was put on pause.

"Sir. You wanted to see me?" Sae asked, straightening her back and giving a slight bow as she addressed Tatsumi Azuma, director of Japan's Special Investigations Unit.

"I trust you've already heard about Mitsuyo Togo's confession?" He asked with a clipped voice.

"Yes sir. If half of what she said is true, the police force will have a lot to work to do."

"Indeed. But that's not what I called you in for."

Tatsumi grabbed a nearby remote and pressed play. The image on the screen, a news reporter, continued whatever she was saying.

"According to Mitsuyo herself, this 'change of heart' happened shortly after she received a card from an unknown group calling themselves the Phantom Team. The card reads as follows: 'To Mitsuyo Togo, the Shogun of Envy. We know the truth behind what you did to Ami Ito. We know that you were jealous of what she had, so you did everything to destroy her despite everything the two of you went through. We know that you didn't stop there; you have exploited and tortured people for no reason other than because you were jealous of what they achieved. We know that you see your husband and daughter as stepping stones for your vile empire, and you don't care how you manipulate or use them to make it happen. And we know that you will continue to construct an empire of evil for your daughter to inherit, no matter who gets hurt along the way. For this, we have decided to take your poisonous heart. We will steal your distorted desires without fail, and make you confess your sins with your own mouth.' Authorities are already investigating the origin and maker of the card."

Tatsumi paused it once again, and looked at Sae.

"You know what this means right?"

Sae thought back to Kobayakawa. He also received a card from the Phantom Team, and shortly after, confessed everything. Yes, she knew exactly what this meant.

"They're just getting started."

"Yes. And who knows how far they'll go, or how much chaos they will sow. I'm counting on you to stop them before they go too far."

Sae's eyes bulged so much one could mistake them for almost coming out of their sockets. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish until she finally settled on one word.

"Me?"

"Well, technically, you and Akechi. I know many don't think too highly of you here, but the fact is you're the best we have. You've never lost a case, no matter how buried or scarce the evidence is, you always nail your target. Your beauty and charm can ensnare any man, your determination can make anything possible, and your intelligence is rivaled only by perhaps the two greatest detective minds of our age."

Sae was taken aback by the sudden praise. True, her boss was one of the few to realize just how talented she was, and never lacked for praising her when she earned it, but this was something new.

"But just me and Akechi? Wouldn't it be better to have a team on this?"

"You and Akechi are a team. The best we have. The only lead we have is a card Niijima. If the two of you can't crack this, then no one can."

Sae breathed in deep, and resolve set in her eyes and heart.

"I understand. I won't let you down sir."

"I know you won't. Now, given how little you have to go on, and how much could potentially depend on you putting away these criminals, I'm going to sweeten the deal. If you succeed, you'll get a number of perks, which do include but are not limited to;"

Tatsumi breathed in deep.

"A pay raise that triples your salary, shortened working hours, three weeks paid vacation, your own office, and an offer to become a liaison to Interpol."

Sae barely managed to stop her jaw from dropping and letting out a gasp. This was it. Her golden ticket, her way to finally move up. The shortened work hours would let her spend more time with her sister, the private office would let her get away from all the leers and insulting whispers, and the vacation time would give her the relaxation she so desperately needed. She'd get all that, and more. All she had to do was take down the Phantom Team.

"I accept the case sir. I'll do whatever it takes to bring this Team in."

"Are you prepared to kill in order to see the job done?"

"I _have_ killed for lesser rewards. And if I have to kill again, then so be it."

Tatsumi smiled.

"Excellent. Get to work as soon as possible. And if you need to use any special resources or to bypass any red tape, let me know."

"I will sir. And thank you for the opportunity, I won't let you down."

"I know Niijima. And here. A little payment in advance. Do you drink?"

"Used to. Not so much now that I've gotten the job."

"I see. Well, I can assure you, I'm giving you this to open in victory this time around."

Tatsumi reached into his safe and pulled out a bottle of Hibiki 30.

"This was one of the first bottles made when the drink was introduced in 1989. Thirty years old by now."

"Sir… I… I can't accept this."

"You can, even if I have to order you to."

Sae gingerly took the bottle, holding it as softly as she would a baby. She turned to her boss.

"Sir, if you don't mind me saying so, this seems a bit like overkill. Why do you want them brought in so badly?"

"Tell me Niijima, do you know what a canary in a coalmine is used for? I mean an actual canary, not the proverb."

"It's supposed to act as an early warning for danger. The miners would take the bird in, and if there were dangerous gases, the bird would die, telling the miners to leave."

"Correct. My intuition is telling me that Mitsuyo is our canary, so to speak. Her arrest is telling us that worse is going to come. I did a brief look into this 'Phantom Team', and from what I gather, they are a group of vigilantes who have the power to make people have a complete reversal of personality. I don't know what their endgame is, but you can bet this Team will bring chaos to our country. Which is why we need to take them down _now_, and to do that, we need you."

Sae looked back at the TV, giving a nod as she mentally replayed its message. She turned to her boss.

"Then consider them taken down. Thanks for the bottle, we can share the first glass when this is done."

"I look forward to it. And Sae? Keep me in the loop."

"Yes sir."

And with that, Sae walked back to her desk, ready to go to work. All was fair in love and war, she'd win this coming war, no matter what it took.


	55. Becoming Famous

Yu heard the sound of applause before he heard the rattle of chains. Now used to this routine, Yu calmly got up and looked at the source. There, as always, was Igor and the twins, all three of them unable to contain their grins.

"I'm glad the two of you are ok." Yu stated as he looked at Caroline and Justine.

"So are we. Though Master would never kill us for anything less than total betrayal, his punishments… certainly remind you why you should obey the rules." Justine replied as she nervously glanced at Igor.

"You were aware of the rules girls. Besides, your sisters were adequately punished as well. But enough of that, we are here because of our guest's recent triumph."

"Yea. Oh that reminds me, last time you summoned me to discuss important business. What was it exactly?"

"Ah, that. I was merely going to warn you about the feelings your Chariot Confidant would have for the Star Confidant, but that's already run its course."

"Oh, you mean Ryuji? Yea, I could've used that heads up."

"Well what's done is done. What really matters is that you've reached a milestone in completing your rehabilitation! Congrats inmate!" Caroline reminded with surprising joy.

"Yes. You've expunged an entity of envy from society, and gained a new ally in the process. You have much to be proud of. However…"

Igor snapped his fingers, and the contract appeared in front of Yu.

"The contract has not been fulfilled."

"Figured as much. I plan on investigating Mementos soon. I have a feeling I'll find this 'truth' there."

"Do what you will. But remember; you only have one year, and a few months have already gone by."

The bell rang, and Yu returned to his prison bed. As he returned to the real world, Igor offered one final word of encouragement.

"Good luck Trickster. I have the utmost faith in your abilities."

* * *

All anyone could talk about at school was Mitsuyo Togo. How disgusting she looked as she almost literally cried a river. How someone could keep such secrets hidden so long. But the thing people were talking about the most was the Phantom Team.

"I heard that their next target is the President of the United States!"

"No way, he's way too protected."

"That's the point! It'd show the world that no one is above the law!"

"You do know that includes them right?"

"Well yea, but they're stopping bad guys."

"But for how long though? How can we be sure they won't try to change the hearts of anyone who so much as badmouths them."

The popularity of Yu's group had pretty much skyrocketed overnight. According to Futaba, the Phansite pretty much crashed dozens of times because of how much traffic there was. The comments ranged from trolls wondering 'how people believed this shit', to saying how the Team were heroes for exposing Mitsuyo, to even some requests.

_I'm going to have to look into a few of them. Our next target might be on there._

Another bright side was that the school would _finally_ shut up about Yu. The Trickster hadn't received so much as a stink eye since he came in, and all the teachers were too busy trying to quiet down the students to try and pick on him with pop questions. The only real downside was that Hifumi would now have to answer for her mother's crimes. The conference was set for today, about an hour after school. The final bell rang and the silver-haired teen sent out a text.

Yu: You sure you can handle what I asked.

Alibaba: You betcha! Once those paparazzi guys start pushing too hard, I'm gonna ruin their day!

Yu: If. If they start pushing too hard.

Alibaba: Which they will, mark my words. But don't worry chief! You can count on me.

Yu made his way back to Shibuya Square, the same place where Mitsuyo confessed to her crimes. Only this time, there was a different Togo on display for the public; Hifumi. The shogi player was taking her seat, and already the press were snapping pictures of the daughter of the disgraced woman. Hifumi took her seat and breathed in deeply, like a diver taking a final gulp of air before going below water.

"Hello everyone. I'm sure everyone knows why we're all here. Before we begin, I would like to clarify a few things. First and foremost, neither I nor my father had any idea as to my mother's crimes. As she herself will tell you, the two of us were not only in the dark about her deeds, but she used us, or at least planned on using us, just like all of her other victims. With that being said, I'll take your questions now."

_Be strong Hifumi._

"Togo-san, with your father in the hospital and your mother in jail, does this mean that you are to be in charge of the Togo News Network?"

"If you truly expect us to believe your claim that neither you nor your father had any idea of Mitsuyo's activities, then how far are you willing to go to compensate her victims?"

"Have you heard any news from the Shogi community about your current status? Have you been expunged yet?"

"One at a time please." Hifumi urged.

"What is the future of the Togo News Network? Are you confident that you can recover from this embarrassment?"

"I will assume the leadership role of Togo News Network. It's true that what my mother did was terrible, but I am confident that we can continue from that."

"What are your opinions on the Phantom Team?"

"I think that, despite the damage they've caused to my family, what they did was a noble thing. While I won't pretend to be grateful for having my life thrown into chaos, I will acknowledge that the Team's actions have given my mother's victims a chance to heal, and will ensure that there are no others."

"So you support them in their actions of sowing chaos?"

"That's not what I-"

"Did you have any involvement with the Phantom Team as they worked to remove your mother from power?"

"That's-"

The clamor of questions continued, and Hifumi was starting to get overwhelmed as reporters pushed and shoved their way to make sure they were heard. Yu's newest teammate was beginning to get overwhelmed and struggled to even make sense of the increasing cacophony of noises. Yu began to text Futaba, telling her to do whatever she had planned, but another disruption beat him to the punch.

Yu heard a sudden _BANG_, as the door was suddenly being slammed open. The cameras, and by extension everyone else, turned their attention to the sudden and very loud noise. Turns out, the sound was the twin metal doors being kicked open, and in the doorway stood a man Yu had never seen before. His silhouette could only be seen, but the outline of his body stood proud and strong, as if he could take on the world and win. Once he stepped forward, everyone could clearly see his face, and when Hifumi saw it, she let out a gasp and called out to him.

"FATHER?!"

The crowd went _wild_. Not just in the studio, but in the square as well. Yu heard people talking with each other, asking if they knew that Kaito Togo was well enough to even walk, let alone attend this conference. In the studio, Yu could imagine everyone with an open jaw as they processed the dramatic entrance. The man spoke in a booming voice, and in a tone that brokered no argument.

"That'll be enough. From here on out, you'll direct your questions to me." He declared, effortlessly walking to where his daughter still sat. Hifumi was able to recover from the initial shock of seeing her previously bedridden father up and about. Sliding out of her seat, she quickly made her way to the exit while Kaito sat down, his face set with a determined look.

"First question. And one at a time please."

"How is it possible that a group of complete strangers were able to know more about your wife than either you or your daughter?"

"That's a good question. I decided to do some research into the matter, and discovered that, roughly two weeks ago, found someone by the name of SharkBoi 9001. This SharkBoi wanted the Team to change my wife's heart not because of her crimes, but because she was incredibly controlling of our daughter. SharkBoi 9001, if you're listening, thank you for looking out for my daughter. Next question."

The crowd in the square began to return to its daily routine, people losing interest now that it was Kaito, rather than Hifumi, who was on screen.

_Almost like they paid attention just to see her squirm._

The man continued to answer questions easily, and Yu felt his phone buzz.

Alibaba: That entrance was AWESOME! He kicked open the door like he was Kuzco from Groovy New Emperor!

Yu: I'm just glad we didn't have to crash the thing.

Alibaba: Yea, a real shame. I had so much in store for those guys.

Yu: Out of curiosity, just what were you going to do if you had to interrupt the conference?

Alibaba: Oh, that's easy. I would've turned the sprinklers on, overloaded a few lights, set off alarms, that kinda stuff.

Yu: Oh. Can you do that for every building?

Alibaba: Most buildings. I can also remote control any phones that are connected to the internet too.

Yu: Interesting. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for helping Futaba.

Alibaba: I don't know who this Futaba is, but I'm glad I could help her.

Yu let out a small sigh. The poor girl still hadn't gotten over her paranoia she picked up after getting caught by Kobayakawa. Another message came in, but from a different person.

Akechi: Hifumi, you alright?

Hifumi: I'm a bit riled, but other than that, I'm ok.

Shiho: I'm surprised your dad showed up. I thought you said he was in the hospital?

Hifumi: He was. Believe me, his sudden appearance was as much a shock to me as everyone else. Though on the bright side, this means responsibility of the Network will fall on his shoulders.

Morgana: Which means that you're going to be free to join us for future heists!

Hifumi: Yes. It also means I'm also free to celebrate with you.

Shiho: Woot woot!

Yu: We're going to need to figure out what, where, and when we're going to celebrate.

Akechi: It can't be somewhere public, or else we may have to deal with people talking about Hifumi.

Morgana: SUSHI! SUSHI! SUSHI!

Yu: Oh, whatever could we do?

Morgana: SUSHI! SUSHI! SUSHI!

Akechi: Oh, what a troubling conundrum for such an intelligent mind such as my own.

Morgana: SUSHI! SUSHI! SUSHI!

Shiho: I for one say we go for Sushi.

Morgana: SUSHI! SUS- YES! I agree with Shiho!

Hifumi: Seconded. I've never had it before, but I've wanted to for a long time.

Morgana: YEEEEEEESSSS!

Akechi: Very well. Sushi it is. Now to decide who's going to pay, since we can't mooch off of Sae-san this time.

Yu: I already thought of that. I sold the fake wedding ring just for this.

Akechi: Excellent. Now, when should we go? It can't be too soon, we have to wait for the controversy around Hifumi to die down.

Yu: Well, it's Wednesday now, so how about on Monday?

Hifumi: Actually, we can do it tomorrow. My family has a private residence here in the city. We can go there, order delivery, and celebrate there.

Akechi: And we can use the Metaverse to travel in secret.

Yu: Alright. So we're all good for tomorrow?

Shiho: Yup!

Morgana: I'm always good for Sushi!

Akechi: I'll be ready.

Yu: Alright. We'll meet up at the subway entrance after school tomorrow.

* * *

Sae let out a deep sigh as she finished the latest paper in her new notebook. It had become a policy for her to buy new notebooks for whenever she got a new case and tear out the papers related to that case. That way, she would be able to keep the various details organized. But at the rate Mitsuyo was going on about her crimes, she probably would use up the whole notebook. Thankfully, Mitsuyo has told her that they were nearing the end of her most recent offences.

"I see. I'll be sure Toshinori is released and given compensation."

Sae could already feel the headache begin to form because of all the paperwork she'd have to do when she got back.

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes. My most recent and final crime is blackmailing a young man named Yu Narukami."

Sae froze and the world seemed to freeze with her. A thousand questions swarmed her head at once. What was Yu doing getting involved with Mitsuyo Togo? What was the blackmail material? Why did Yu try to keep this from her? Did he get hurt?

Sae felt her blood boil at the last question. If Mitsuyo hurt her ward, then the prosecutor was going to throttle the woman, regardless of the fact that she was already under arrest. Sae took a deep breath and gave a single command.

"Explain."

"Well, it all began when the Shujin Academy had a field trip there. The alarm I installed in my computer went off, and thanks to hidden surveillance, I discovered that it was Yu who tampered with my computer, and managed to extract files that detailed my own crimes."

"Why would Narukami break into your office?"

"I don't know. I only know that about ten or eleven years ago, when I was getting started, Dojima Narukami began to investigate me before being reassigned. When I found out who the intruder was, I assumed that Dojima sent his son to help him finish what he started."

Sae was left puzzled by the revelation, and another barrage of questions assaulted her mind. Was Dojima working with the Phantom Team? Did Narukami really do this of his own volition, or did he break the law at the behest of the father he revered? Or perhaps she was asking the wrong questions. Regardless, she would have to question him about this.

"Is that all?"

"Yes. Yes it is. It feels refreshing to get all of that off my chest."

_I'm sure you won't feel all that refreshed once you're in prison._

Sae collected her things and stood up.

"Thank you for your cooperation. An officer will be along shortly to take you to lockup."

With that, Sae left the interrogation room, her mind beginning to go to work, processing what she heard, deciding what to do with it, but most importantly, a plan for the future. She needed to find a way to stop the Team. But that could come later. Right now, she needed to get to the bottom of whatever Narukami was doing with Mitsuyo, and dish out the necessary punishment. Pulling out her phone, she shot a single text.

Sae: Narukami, it's Sae. We need to talk.


	56. Proper Discipline

Yu sat in the apartment, waiting patiently for his guardian to return. He had recently received a text from her telling her that they 'needed to talk'. He of course did not know what he did, and when he asked Makoto, all she could say was that she was just as clueless as he. He had been turning in his assignments on time, nailing test scores, and for the most part, obeyed Sae. So here he waited. Suddenly, his phone buzzed, and he picked it up immediately in the hopes it was Sae. It wasn't.

Yusuke: Good evening Narukami-san. I owe you my thanks.

Yu: For what?

Yusuke: I saw the news of Mitsuyo confessing. I had no idea that she was guilty of so many crimes.

Yu: It was just as much a shock to me. I'm just sorry it was the Phantom Team that busted her and not Akechi and me.

Yusuke: Regardless, you tried, and for that, I thank you. By the way, are you available for a meeting tomorrow?

Yu: No. Why?

Yusuke: I could use some inspiration. Not only that, but I need to talk to you about something.

The door to the apartment opened, revealing Sae. Yu shot one final text to wrap up his business with the artist.

Yu: I have no idea when I'll be free next. But I have to go now, see you soon.

Yu put away his phone and stood up to greet his guardian.

"Ah, good. You're here." Sae stated as she closed the door.

"Yup. What did you want to talk about?"

_This can't be about school, I know that much._

Sae crossed her arms.

"I just got back from interrogating Mitsuyo Togo for all the crimes she committed. Imagine my surprise when she mentioned blackmailing you because you broke into her office as one of them."

_Oh shit. OH SHIT!_

"Now, answer truthfully and I won't arrest you; why did you break into her office?"

Yu took a deep gulp.

**Tread carefully Narukami. We are on very thin ice here.**

"Ok. It all began a few months ago. Do you remember a man named Yusuke Kitagawa?" Yu began carefully.

"I do. He's the one that told Akechi and me about Madarame."

"Well, he was friends with Hifumi Togo."

"Mitsuyo's only child. Continue."

"Well Yusuke contacted Akechi, asking him to get some kind of dirt on Mitsuyo. Apparently, Mitsuyo was forcing Hifumi to be a model, and it put a great deal of strain on the girl's life. Akechi agreed, and asked me to help."

"You? Why?"

"Well he didn't go to you because he was worried that you'd see it as a waste of time, and he went to me because, for starters, I'm probably the only other person he knew with any detective skills. The second reason was that I'm a Narukami, and Akechi hoped that would open some doors."

"I see. Walk me through your investigation."

"When we started out, our goal wasn't to arrest her."

_In fact, I'm sure when he got the request, Akechi probably thought her Shadow would be found in Mementos_.

"We just wanted to find something that we could threaten her with to convince her to let Hifumi go free."

"So you didn't set out to arrest her, but blackmail her?" Sae accused with a growl.

_Shit_

Yu couldn't help but recall the time he and Akechi first managed to escape the Metaverse, and Sae was able to find a way to turn his lie into an accusation. The prosecutor began to tap her foot, waiting for Yu to answer her.

"Y-yes, Sae-san."

The woman began to grind her teeth against each other. Yu saw her jaw wind and unwind so many times he was sure it would break at any second. Finally, she just took in a deep breath and nodded, signaling for him to continue.

"Akechi did some basic investigation and found out that apparently my dad was investigating her before… before he…"

"And?" Sae asked, a little more gentle this time, no doubt because she knew Dojima's hospitalization was a sensitive subject.

"Well, Akechi believed the fastest way to figure out her secrets was to go to her personal computer. We were expecting to find some kind of scandal, like a secret love affair."

_Though committing a laundry list of crimes would also count as a scandal._

"And what did you find?"

"Absolutely nothing. She had created some kind of failsafe to prevent anyone with unauthorized access from using the data. The laptop we were using literally blew up in our faces. After that, we decided that she was either paranoid, or-"

"Or she had something serious to hide. What did you do then?"

Yu took another deep breath. This lie was going to either get him off the hook or guarantee he'd end up in juvie.

"We decided to pick up where dad left off. We started interviewing people that Mitsuyo had crossed paths with. They began to tell us the same story, and the crimes she had committed, and we interviewed Hifumi herself. After that, I got a message telling me to get dad to drop the case against Mitsuyo or you'd see a video of me breaking into Mitsuyo's office."

"I see. But obviously that didn't happen."

"Yup. The Phantom Team managed to get her to confess."

"How convenient. Just like how Akechi was fighting against Kobayakawa for two years, but after you showed up, this mysterious Phantom Team was able to take him down." Sae replied. She didn't say the actual words, but the accusation was clear.

"I know. Apparently there's a website called the Phansite. The latest post was from someone named SharkBoi 9001 asking the Team to, and I quote 'steal Mitsuyo's heart'. At first Akechi and I thought it was Yusuke, but the date was a few days after he contacted us, and from meeting the guy myself, I highly doubt he'd use this… colorful language."

Yu showed Sae the post in question on his phone. By now there were a good few others, so he had to dig a bit, but the original post was there. Sae read it and a small smile played on her lips when she was finished.

"You're right. Kitagawa would never be so crude. So just what were you planning on doing if the Phantom Team didn't get to her?"

"Well, we were going to go to you, actually."

Sae raised her eyebrow in disbelief.

"At this point, it wasn't just a wild goose chase, and we figured it would be best if you heard about the details from us."

"Anything else I should know?"

"No, that's just about it." Yu lied.

Sae breathed in deep and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Wait here." she ordered as she went into her room and pulled out her phone. Yu sent out Izanagi. There was no doubt in the Wild Card's mind that she was calling Akechi to confirm his story, and Yu needed to be sure if he should start running or if he was in the clear; he could not afford to go to juvie, not while the contract was still unfulfilled. But it was Akechi who created this lie, so Yu could only hope that he remembered the important bits.

"Hello Akechi, it's me. I just had a chat with Narukami. About how you and he were investigating Mitsuyo. Behind my back."

Yu couldn't hear anything, but he could certainly hear Akechi's voice. And the nervousness in it.

"I want to hear your account… I don't care if you think I've heard everything, I want to hear it from you."

Yu knew what his friend was trying to do; convince Sae that what Yu said was the truth, and that she didn't need to confirm from him the tale. But this only made Sae more adamant about having Akechi tell his side of the story.

"Akechi, either you tell me what happened, or I'll be forced to assume that Narukami was lying and send him to juvie… there we go. Start from the beginning."

Yu knew that he didn't really have a reason to be concerned; after all, it was Akechi that created the lie in the first place. But still, only a fool would underestimate Sae Niijima. The two officers talked with each other, Akechi giving Sae the details of the same story her ward gave her, the only words from her being "I see" and "Continue". Finally, Sae let out an exasperated sigh.

"Alright, you've convinced me. Looks like Narukami was telling the truth."

_Akechi, I'll never doubt you again._

"But… it's been awhile since you've brushed up on CQC. Report to me tomorrow so that I can… give you a refresher." Sae replied, and her tone made Yu shiver. But it was what she said in response to Akechi's next words that **really** put him on edge.

"Oh, don't worry about Narukami. I've got something else in mind for him."

The woman hung up and returned to the living room, where Yu sat, waiting in suspense.

"Your story checks out Narukami. You're going to stay a free man."

Yu let himself smile. Sae stayed true to her word.

"However." She started, taking a seat next to him on the couch.

"You still broke the law, and you still planned on committing another crime. I'm not going to let you get away with that unpunished."

Yu gulped as sweat began to roll down his forehead.

"So… will I have to be… trained next time I see you?" He asked, failing to mask the fear in his voice.

"Oh no. I have something else in mind." Sae replied, looking at him with cold malice shining in her eyes.

She extended her index finger and curled it back, beckoning the teenager closer. Cautiously, as if he was approaching a hungry wolf, Yu scooched closer, and closer to her on the couch. Suddenly, Sae grabbed his shirt and quickly pulled him over her lap. His stomach was now lying on her legs, and before Yu could respond, Sae grabbed the waistline of his pants. In one swift motion, she pulled down his pants, exposing his ass to her.

_Oh God… is she gonna…?_

"Now Narukami, my directions are going to be straightforward. After every hit, you are going to say 'I promise I won't break the law'. Understood?" She asked.

Yu was about to protest, but before he could even try to reason with her, a loud _SMACK_ was heard in the room, and pain suddenly flared in the body part Sae had recently exposed. Yu let out a surprised yelp, and after a precious few seconds had gone by, Sae gripped his neck.

"Well? What are you supposed to say?" She hissed.

"I promise I won't break the law." Yu replied.

"Correct."

_SMACK_

"I promise I won't break the law!" He yelled, the pain returning with a vengeance.

_SMACK_

"I promise I won't break the law!" Yu yelled again as the agony surged through his rear.

_SMACK_

"I promise I won't break the law!"

By now, the pain was beginning to become unbearable, Sae refusing to hold back her strength at all. Yu resorted to biting his lip so that he wouldn't scream or whimper, and resolved to get through this without crying.

_I'm going to get through this with at least a shred of my dignity intact._

_SMACK_

"I PROMISE I WON'T BREAK THE LAW!"

_SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK_

Thirty more times Sae spanked Yu, and thirty more times he responded with 'I promise I won't break the law'. When it was over, Yu's rear, and Sae's hand, were a very dark shade of red from the relentless assault. Sae pulled up her ward's pants, and gestured to him that he was allowed to get up. Yu felt a moment of hatred for his guardian, but it was quickly tempered when he saw her face. Sae didn't have a grin, didn't appear relaxed, and there was no sadistic glee in her eyes. The woman didn't enjoy disciplining Yu any more and he enjoyed being disciplined. Well, maybe if it was Shiho he'd enjoy it more.

"I hope you keep your promise Narukami. If you don't, I might have to take drastic measures." She warned as she stood up.

"I have to go back to work. Don't stay up too late." Sae informed, grabbing her handbag and walking out. With her gone, and Izanagi confirming that no one else was in range, Yu briefly teleported into the Metaverse to heal. Before he could head back, the Persona decided to talk with his master.

"**Well that was embarrassing."**

"It was. I'm just glad I was able to make it through without crying. That would've been awful."

"**Something tells me Sae wouldn't judge you. Say what you will about the woman, but she doesn't seem to enjoy putting you down. And considering she's a prosecutor and we broke the law, a spanking is definitely one of the lighter repercussions."**

"Yea. But my butt still stings."

"**Maybe so, but it's also good to know that Sae Niijima is a woman of her word. Besides, if anything, this is proof that we're going to have to be even more careful from here on out. I suspect those drastic measures Sae talked about are going to juvie."**

"I was thinking the same thing. We also need to tell the others to be careful too. For better or worse, the Phantom Team's getting famous now, and we can't talk as freely as before."

"**Right. Not only that, but you can bet the police have taken notice."**

"That too."

Yu let out a big sigh and draped his hand down his face.

"It's only going to get tougher going forward, isn't it.?"

"**Probably. But no matter what happens, but the Team and I will be by your side through whatever comes next. And whatever comes after that."**

"Thanks Izanagi."

The god simply gave a thumbs up as Yu walked to his room and activated the Meta-Nav there, out of concern that Makoto might have already entered the living room. Once back in the real world, he looked at his workbench. There were a few materials there, materials made for crafting. Yu plopped himself down, preparing gear he'd need for the future.

* * *

Ryuji let out a groan as he continued to walk the streets. Ever since he fought Yu, he'd been beating himself over the misunderstanding and dedicating himself to trying to find a way to make it up to Yu. At first, Ryuji planned on asking Yu if he wanted to go get some ramen, like before, but he realized that Yu might not be up for spending time alone with the guy that almost beat him to a pulp. Earlier today he asked Makoto what to do, and she told him that apparently, the guy enjoyed Buchimaru, or Buchi-kun as she called him, and that Ryuji should buy one immediately. So now he was prowling the streets of Yongen, searching for any store that could sell him some merch of that panda. So far, there was only one place, a store that sold exclusively antiques. And the price for the Buchimaru stuffed toy was absolutely bonkers; 100,000 yen. How Ryuji was going to afford that, he had no idea as he wandered out of the store. That's when he heard a man cough behind him.

"Low on some dough, eh kid?" a rough voice asked.

Ryuji turned back with a scowl. The man looked like he belonged in a penthouse rather than the backstreets of Yongen. The man was wearing slick black dress pants held up by a belt with a golden buckle, while his chest was covered with a three piece black suit and a red ascot tie that also held a beautiful sapphire gem. His face was clean-shaven while having combed black hair. But the most interesting thing about him was that he was pressing his left hand against his neck, like he was trying to put pressure on a wound. Or hide something.

"What's it to you?"

"Woah woah, easy there tough guy. I'm just a man looking for a favor and to burn some cash." The mystery man replied.

"Really?"

"Really. See, I'm in a bit of a bind. I have to meet a real nice lady friend soon. But, I also got to deliver an important letter to an important man just as soon. So I'm at a bit of an impasse." The man explained, holding up a red envelope and handing it to Ryuji, who cautiously accepted it.

"And what does this have to do with me?"

"Well, as it just so happens, I could use someone to go and deliver the letter. I'd be willing to… compensate you for your time."

The man pulled out a wad of yen bills from his fancy jacket. Ryuji picked it up and did a rough estimate of about 200,000 yen. He looked back at the guy in shock.

"You really need to get this letter delivered, don't ya?"

"Yup. And I also need to go meet my lady friend. So get going."

"Hold up. Why me? You know I could just take the cash and run."

"You totally could. But if you did that, my friend would call me for an explanation. And if that happened, I would explain to him that I gave you the envelope, describe you to him, and he would hunt you down and kill you."

Ryuji began to break out into a cold sweat.

"Of course, that won't have to happen if you hurry down to Shinjuku and give it to a man wearing a black and purple suit that's waiting outside the Crossroads Bar." The man added, motioning to the subway with a flick of his head before turning and walking away.

"So wait. Do you want me to deliver any of the cash, or…?"

"Do whatever you want with the money. But you better not go using it to pull a prank."

"Alright."

"Didn't your old man teach ya any manners? Normally when someone does something nice… you should be grateful."

"R-right! Thanks dude!"

Using the newfound cash, Ryuji made sure to buy the Buchimaru toy before running towards the nearest train to Shinjuku. He felt the crimson envelope that held the letter inside, and decided to examine what exactly he was carrying. It was relatively light, gave off a weird smell, and he could swear he heard some rattling in there. But he didn't have all that long to ponder what exactly was in his hands, as the train doors opened up for the Red Line District. Speed walking, he looked through the sights and sounds for a man matching the description he was given. Finally, the delinquent spotted him, leaning against the wall while looking at his watch with an impatient look plastered on his face.

"Excuse me? I think I'm supposed to give this to ya." Ryuji stated as he handed the man the red envelope.

"Ah. About time. Been waiting for this longer than you know. Thanks a ton kid." The man said, taking Ryuji's cargo and entering the bar. Ryuji, giving a noncommittal shrug, turned and left, believing it was over. All the while clueless of the man from before lurking in the shadows recording the whole thing.


	57. Team Bonding

Yu was waiting outside the subway entrance, the same spot the Team had used the first time they entered Mementos. He was about fifteen minutes early, so it was no surprise that he was alone. But that wasn't the case for long, as he felt a tugging on his sleeve, and he turned around to see none other than…

"Hey Yu, whatcha up to?"

His girlfriend.

"Hey Shiho. Nothing much, just waiting on the others. You?"

"The same. But now I can do it with good company." She replied, lacing her arm with Yu's.

"You're in a good mood."

"We beat Mitsuyo, and we're going to celebrate, so yea I'm in a good mood. Why? Aren't you?"

_Well, having your ass literally assaulted yesterday would put a damper on things._

"Sorry. I've just been thinking about things. The future, what the Team's next move is, all that stuff."

Shiho shot him an apologetic look.

"Yea, that makes sense. Being the team leader sucks, doesn't it?"

"It's not so bad. I get some exclusive privileges. Like dating the most incredible woman in the world."

Shiho smirked at that, and a faint blush could be seen on her cheeks, but to her credit, she didn't look away like she would've at the start of this relationship.

"And don't you forget it."

The distance between their lips began to close, but a sudden cry caused them to separate quickly.

"Yu! Shiho!"

The two turned and saw Morgana running towards them, and right behind her was Akechi, who was walking at a brisk pace towards the group. Tucked under his arms was his signature briefcase, no doubt holding files related to potential targets. Upon seeing the teenage detective, Shiho and Yu immediately began to look around for Hifumi. They had agreed to meet up at the subway, but it wasn't too much of a stretch to think that she took a longer route in order to avoid people. But as soon as the thought crossed their mind, Yu felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw the girl in question. She was wearing a hoodie and a flu mask to keep herself hidden, but when Yu looked closely, he saw the red ribbon in the shape of a clover.

"Hello Hifumi. Didn't think you'd make it through the crowds without at least some trouble." Yu greeted.

"The controversy died down surprisingly fast. All I heard on the train was people speculating about the Phantom Team." Hifumi replied.

"It would appear we're all here. Now, let us go to have a ton of cheer!" Akechi exclaimed, posing dramatically.

"Cute rhyme. You make that up just now, or have you been rehearsing?" Yu teased.

"Oh hush. But now that we're all here, we can start heading to this place of yours." Akechi reminded, turning to Hifumi.

"Right. It's on the outskirts of town, but I can give directions from here."

"Alright. Let's find a secluded spot and enter the Metaverse."

It didn't take long before they found a small alleyway that was out of sight of the general public. Once they were in the Metaverse, Hifumi looked upon her new surroundings with wide eyes.

"Oh that's right, you haven't seen Mementos, have you?" Yu asked upon seeing her reaction.

"Mementos?"

"We'll explain on the way." Morgana answered, summoning the Mona-mobile. The group piled in, and Hifumi looked up at the blood red sky and the black and red roots coming out of the station. But, as the Mona-mobile began to pull away from it, she heard her leader begin to explain.

"That place back there was the entrance to Mementos, the Palace of the general public."

"The general public?"

"Yup. Like I said when we first met you, Palaces are places where extremely distorted desires take form. Because everyone has some form of distorted desires, but not enough to make a Palace, the populace shares a Palace."

"And I'm assuming that is Mementos. Turn right here." Hifumi guessed, pointing at the direction Morgana was to take.

"Pretty much. We use it to take the hearts of people that don't have a Palace, and we don't even need to send a calling card. Just pop in, beat up the Shadow and boom, job done."

"That sounds useful. And good for practice. Keep going straight up the hill."

"Yea. In fact, while we're looking for our next target, we should probably explore Mementos some more." Yu stated as the bus began to make its way out of the city proper.

"Let's hold off on that kind of talk until after we're done eating. We're supposed to celebrate today, right?" Shiho reminded.

"There. See that small house overlooking the city? That's the vacation home." Hifumi pointed to a small cottage on a cliffside overlooking Tokyo. Morgana proceeded to floor it, and before the group knew it, they had arrived at their destination.

"It's amazing how fast you can go without traffic. Now when we get into the real world, everyone take a look at these menus and decide what you want." Akechi ordered as they stepped off and Morgana put the Mona-mobile back to wherever it waited for its mistress. The group entered the real world, the transition now so much smoother with them used to it.

"You got the money Yu?" Morgana asked as Hifumi unlocked the door.

"Always."

The five entered and looked around. Much to their surprise, there wasn't really all that much to it. The house was big enough to house about a family of four, and there was a pool in the back, but other than that it looked… surprisingly ordinary.

"Wow. I would've thought Mitsuyo would've gotten something more… expensive." Shiho pointed out.

"Mother had to really twist father's arm for this, and he only capitulated when she asked for their anniversary. Does everyone know what they want?" Hifumi asked, picking up a phone to order.

After everyone actually looked over the menu on their phones and Hifumi relayed their orders, the Tricksters began to spread out and explore. Yu himself went to the poolside that overlooked the city. The sun was setting and the lights had begun to turn on, giving the city a surreal feeling, but it also gave him a sense of calm, like this was a shelter in the storm to come. That's when he had an idea.

"Hey Hifumi, how often does this get used?" He called.

"It didn't get much back when my family was using it, but now that mother's been arrested, I imagine it won't get any. Why?" Hifumi asked.

Like his voice was a fire and they were moths, the rest of the Team showed up and joined him at the pool area.

"I was just thinking that, since we're going to continue our operations, it would be best to have a hideout. Or somewhere that we could be hidden from the public. We can't go into the Metaverse from a back alley and hope that people just don't notice."

"That's a good idea. And you think we can use this vacation home for that?" Hifumi assumed.

"I don't think that would work. We had to enter the Metaverse to even get here quickly, so it would defeat the purpose." Akechi pointed out.

"Though Yu's right. We do need a hideout." Shiho reminded.

"How about Akechi's place? It's easy to reach, secluded, and we have an excuse to show up whenever we want." Morgana suggested.

"That's a good idea. What do you think Akechi?" Yu asked.

"I agree. Whenever we need to go to Mementos or just discuss Team business in private, my apartment should be more than enough. Though we should keep this place in mind for emergencies."

"Sweet. Be sure you text us the address."

As Akechi began to text away, Morgana asked a question everyone was thinking.

"Sooooooo…. What do we do while we're waiting for food?"

"Well, we could talk about what we're going to do next." Yu suggested.

"Nope! We're not doing that until after the food arrives!" Shiho objected.

"Well, what do you suggest?" Hifumi asked.

"We could play a game." Shiho suggested.

"Oh really?"

"Yup! Have any of you heard of a game called President?" Shiho asked as she looked through her bag.

There were a few moments before she realized that there was nowhere to play out in the pool area. Taking them back indoors, she took everyone's silence as a 'no', so she sat down and began to explain.

"So basically, the goal of the game is to get rid of all your cards as fast as possible. You do this by laying down a card that's stronger than what the person before you put down. For example, if Yu put down a nine, I would have to put down a ten or higher." The volleyball player told her teammates as she pulled out a deck of cards.

"What if you couldn't?" Morgana asked.

"Then you'd have to pass, and keep your cards. There's also something else. If you have two or more of the same cards, like say, three queens, you can play them, and those after will have to put down three kings or higher."

"What's the order of power for the cards?" Yu asked as Shiho began to shuffle her deck.

"It goes, from weakest to strongest; three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, two. A Joker can be anything you want it to be."

"Alright. I think I get it. You guys wanna go a few practice rounds?" Akechi asked.

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention. The one that wins first is called the President, while the second winner is Vice President. The second last person is called scum, while the main loser is a hobo. The hobo has to give two of his best cards to the President, while the scum has to give his best card to the Vice President. If either have a Joker, they have to give that instead. Also, the President and Vice President have to give their worst cards to the hobo and scum respectively. Is everyone clear on the rules?"

"I am." Hifumi answered, and Shiho began to deal the cards.

"Where'd you hear about this Shiho?" Yu asked as the last card was dealt.

"I learned it from Ann. Now, I'll go first."

"Hey, I just thought of something. Isn't it normal for humans to bet something on games like this?" Morgana asked as the game began in earnest.

"Yea it is. But we don't really have that much money to spare." Hifumi pointed out.

"Well then how about this; the loser has to tell an embarrassing story." Yu suggested, curious to learn more about his fellow Tricksters.

"Just be sure you have plenty to spare Yu. Because this veteran won't be losing any time soon." Shiho replied.

**Mewhehe. Time to cheat mah boi!**

_No Izanagi. We're going to win this fair and square._

The game began in earnest, with Izanagi groaning about Yu not using his powers to his advantage. It lasted for a few minutes, before it ended with Hifumi's defeat. The shogi player let out a deep sigh as she began to rack her brain thinking of which embarrassing story to share. The rest of the Team leaned in, ready to lap up whatever fresh teasing material she was about to give them.

"Alright, so… once upon a time, I watched Mary Poppins."

"Oh boy." Yu interrupted with a smile on his face.

"And when I saw the scene of her descending on an umbrella, I immediately decided that that was the way to travel. So, I got an umbrella, climbed to the roof of the house and jumped off. You can imagine the results."

"Ouch. How bad was it?" Yu asked.

"I actually got lucky. Father was able to catch me before I hit the ground, but I imagine it must have looked amusing to anyone watching."

"Can you imagine if it worked though?" Shiho replied.

"I can see it now; Hifumi descending upon the unsuspecting masses with a menacing umbrella and the Imperial March playing in the background. The sky cracks with thunder and the skies weep blood that does not touch Hifumi thanks to what she's flying with. As the people shrek in horror, she proclaims to the world 'Your new goddess has arrived! Kneel before me and my umbrella flying powers!" Akechi declared, doing a dramatic pose.

"Truely, the power of umbrellas triumphs over all!" Hifumi added, doing her own dramatic pose.

"When you said that blood doesn't touch Hifumi, all I could picture was a bunch of people huddled under the one dry zone she'd create and they just waddle to wherever she's going." Shiho replied, snickering.

"I'd have to remember to not wear a skirt if I ever manage to recreate Mary Poppins."

"Alright, alright. Settle down you two and let's go another round." Yu declared before they could go any further. He wanted to learn more, but preferably about the others. Once again, the cards were dealt, and the players did their best to win. When everything was done, it was Akechi that lost, foolishly holding onto a four.

"The Detective Prince is now living on the streets? What is the world coming to?" Yu asked lightheartedly.

"Forget Detective Prince, you are now… the HOBO PRINCE!" Hifumi declaried.

"If that's the case, then I, the Hobo Prince, demand only the finest of shag carpeting as tribute!" Akechi replied.

"Maybe we could switch your code name to Hobo Prince." Morgana teased.

"No. Never in a million years."

"Alright Hobo Prince, why don't you tell us a story of your past?" Yu requested.

"Very well. Back when I was younger, starting middle school, I was infatuated with Western superheroes.-"

"What do you mean 'was'?" Yu asked with a smirk, only for Akechi to narrow his eyes in response.

"… Superman in particular was my favorite, and because of that, I made a small resolution when I was forced to switch schools around the third grade. I would go on the lookout for bullies and beat them up when I found them."

"I think I know how this ends." Shiho piped up.

"Well, when the time came for me to begin my lookout, imagine my surprise when I couldn't find any evil-doers. At first I thought I was unlucky, but my vigilance led to nothing for an entire week. Apparently, the teachers did such a good job at catching bullies that I wasn't needed. So I was forced into early retirement."

"That might've been for the best. But still, you deciding to try and be a hero to the kids at your middle school is so sweet." Shiho pointed out.

"There was one bully I managed to catch, although it was many years later. After I dealt with him, I got to meet and befriend his victim; Mishima, who would later introduce me to Futaba."

_So that's how he formed a team with people younger than him._

"Alright, another round. How long until the food's delivered?" Morgana asked as Shiho began to shuffle.

"I don't know, but it should be soon." Yu reasoned.

For the third time, the game began. This round lasted a bit longer than usual, but as the cards began to vanish and winners were declared, the last one to get rid of their cards was Shiho. The volleyball player pouted as her boyfriend laid down the last card, making her the new hobo of the group.

"Please don't try to ruin the shag carpeting." Akechi requested. Shiho let out a sigh, and everyone leaned forward to hear her embarrassing tale.

"Alright so… this happened when I was in middle school too. I had really gotten the hang of singing, and my parents wanted to show off my talent to my aunt, who was once an idol herself. Now, they let me have free reign over the music selection, meaning that I could choose whatever I wanted. Now, at the time, I really wanted to impress my aunt by singing a song I'd never sung before. So I found a musical called 'The Book of Mormon', and a song called 'Hasa diga Eebowai'. Now, if I knew where the song would go, I wouldn't have even considered it."

"What does hasa diga eebowai mean?" Morgana asked.

"I'm getting there. So, because my parents were so impressed with my singing talents that not only did my aunt bring friends, but my dad thought it would be a good idea to bring his boss and co-workers to show me off. So, we all gathered in the living room, and I put on the music, and the lyrics show up on screen. Everything was going well until we found out what 'hasa diga eebowai' meant."

"What was it?"

"Fuck you, God."

The group had a moment of silence as they took in the reveal. Shiho simply let out a soft hum and nodded her head.

"Yea. Needless to say that after that, my dad never brought co-workers over, and my mom pressured me to find some other hobby."

"Jeez. I can only imagine how badly that would've gone for me if it was me and Sae." Yu stated, his rear end somehow flaring up in pain as if to give him an idea as to what would happen.

"Yea. Sae-san would definitely not appreciate such humiliation in front of her peers." Akechi supported.

"Hasa diga eebowai is definitely be something I would yell while imitating Mary Poppins while the apocalypse happened." Hifumi added.

"Alright, time for-"

There was a sudden knock on the door, and a voice called out.

"Excuse me, I have a delivery here for a Shiho Suzui?"

"It's the only name I could think of that they wouldn't recognize." Hifumi replied.

Yu handed Shiho a wad of yen, and the volleyball player rushed to open the door while the others gathered up the cards. After a few moments, she came back bringing a cardboard box. Placing it down on the table, the smell of their food invaded the nostrils of everyone present. It wasn't long before everyone found out which food belonged to whom, and they devoured their meals like hungry animals. Soon, groans of satisfaction were heard from everyone.

"Ooooooh, tis ich sooooo guuuut!" Shiho proclaimed with stuffed cheeks.

"I know. I'll have to keep this place in mind for the future." Akechi responded as he took another bite of his food.

"So, now that we're all happily munching away, I think we can discuss our next move." Hifumi said.

"Oh, alright. Anyone got any ideas?" Shiho asked.

"Well, we should probably keep exploring Mementos. There's probably a few new targets that we can find now." Yu answered, pulling out his phone and browsing the Phansite.

"Yea, see, we got a few requests here. First up is for a Kosei student named Hikari Shimizu. She's been abusing, humiliating, and ordering a guy around like some kind of dominatrix. " He added, showing everyone what he found.

"I know of her. The poor boy has continuously asked her to stop, and she's beaten him for it. The other students don't want to be her next target, so they keep quiet, and it's only emboldened her."

"Who knows when she'll try to do something sexual to him? We gotta stop her before she goes too far!" Shiho demanded with a scowl.

"I agree. Man or woman, we can't let someone suffer sexual abuse." Akechi added.

"Sounds like we're in agreement."

"Agreement?" Hifumi questioned.

"Yea, we have a rule that we all have to agree to go after a target before actually beginning infiltration. We don't disregard it even for the small stuff." Yu explained.

"There's something else here. There's a bully named Daisuke Takanashi." Morgana said, pointing to the request in question.

"Not that big a case, but we shouldn't limit ourselves just those with Palaces." Shiho pointed out.

"You're right. Best to nip problems in the bud." Morgana agreed.

"A bully and a dominatrix… should be good practice." Akechi stated as he looked.

"The dominatrix should be… interesting." Shiho pointed out as she took a swig of her drink.

"Or fun, depending on your perspective." Yu replied, causing everyone to stare at him.

"Why Yu, didn't know you were into that kind of stuff." Shiho teased with a small smirk.

"Well he fell for you, and you whacked him with a volleyball, so…" Akechi trailed off.

"Wait what?" Hifumi asked.

"Apparently Yu and Shiho met at a volleyball match. Shiho broke his nose with a spike." Morgana explained.

"Oh my. That'll be an interesting story to tell your kids." Hifumi stated with wide eyes.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Yu cautioned as he suddenly felt hot. Before the conversation could go any further, Akechi's phone began to ring with the Batman theme from the 1966 show. Akechi picked it up with a wide smile.

"Hello Sae-san… How could I not, they're all over the news these days. Huh? Are we sure tomorrow's the best time? True, sooner _is_ better. Very well. I'll have to let Ushimaru-sensei know then. That's all? Oh, ok. Buh-bye."

"What did Sae-san want?" Yu asked.

"Apparently, the media wants an official statement from the police, and the SIU has sent Sae-san to give them one, and as her partner, I'm supposed to come with her. We'll be going in tomorrow, during school."

"Oh. Think you can handle it?"

"Don't worry, I've made appearances on TV before. Though, I'm going to have to inform Ushimaru-sensei so that the teachers know to send me the proper lessons. After the interview is over, we can go back to Phantom Team business. But for now, let's just enjoy ourselves."

And enjoy themselves they did, relishing the break in the action and preparing themselves for whatever came next.

* * *

Ryuji was on his way home, Bushimaru plushie tucked securely under his arm. In the distance, he could see the rundown, old, and frankly disgusting motel that he called home since his previous school year. They were close to getting enough yen to finally buy back their old house. But as Ryuji approached, he saw someone moving in the shadows. Moving as quickly as he could without giving it away that he'd seen the unknown person, Ryuji began to move towards the stairs that would take him to his room. But he didn't manage to get far before the person in question spoke up.

"Where do you think you're going kid?"

Ryuji stopped. That voice sounded familiar. Turning around, the stranger stepped into the light, and the teenager's eyes widened in recognition. It was the man from before, the one that gave him the letter to deliver. But this time, he didn't cover up his neck, revealing what caused Ryuji's eyes to nearly pop out of their sockets. Tattooed on his neck was a blue gecko, almost exactly like the one his father wore. And there was only one other person in the world who had a tattoo like that at the same place.

"Ah, you recognize me. I heard that you delivered the letter, and not a moment too soon. You're probably wondering who I am. The name's-"

"Munehisa Iwai. I know who you are." Ryuji spat.

"Oh really?"

"Your tattoo gave ya away. Dad was always talkin' about how he and you were the only two people in the world that had it. The hell do you want?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely, I wanted to give you this."

Iwai held out his hand, and on it was a series of numbers. When Ryuji looked at Iwai, the man decided to explain.

"That's my phone number. You'd better put it in, because you're gonna see it real soon."

"What? Why?"

"Because we got something in the works, but it ain't ready just yet. When it is, we'll give you a call."

"Screw you asshole. Just because my dad was in the clan don't mean I want in."

"Heh. You inherited your dad's lack of tact. But I came prepared. You wanna guess what exactly was in that envelope?"

Ryuji's jaw went slack. He hadn't really thought about when he first saw Iwai, thinking he was just some random schmuck with too much money on his hands, but now Ryuji could see that he had been conned.

"Drugs?" Ryuji asked.

"Bingo. And if you don't cooperate, a picture of that envelope, and what was in it, will find its way to the police. Got it?" Iwai asked, hostility leaking into his tone.

"Yea. But why the hell you gotta go after me?" Ryuji replied, his own tone not showing any of the nervousness that gripped him.

"Oh that's easy. Your old man was once one of our best guys in hand-to-hand. The Tiger of Tokyo is what they called him. And I just wanna see if that talent runs in the family. See you around Sakamoto."

And with that, the well-dressed yakuza member strolled off, leaving Ryuji alone, thinking about just how much trouble he was in.


	58. Making a Statement

Yu was in the middle of class when his phone began to buzz. Discreetly pulling it out, he saw that the message was from Haru.

Haru: Naru-chan, I think I have an idea on how to get father to break off the engagement.

Yu: Really? Let's hear it.

Haru: Meet me on the rooftop with Shiho and Mako-chan.

Yu: Got it

The bell rang, and Yu didn't waste much time tracking down Shiho and Makoto, bringing the two back up to the roof. Waiting for them was Haru, tending to her plants. Upon the three entering, the fluffy-haired girl stood up with a bright smile.

"Ah, there you are Naru-chan. And you brought Suzu-chan and Mako-chan with you, wonderful!"

"Suzu-chan?" Shiho asked.

"She gives out nicknames to people. So, shall we get them up to speed?"

"Yup."

"Up to speed on what?" Makoto asked.

"Do you know Big Bang Burger?" Yu asked.

"Yea. Ann, Ryuji and I used to go there all the time. What about it?" Shiho questioned.

"Well Haru here is the heiress of Okumura Foods, the company responsible for it."

"Really? And how'd the two of you meet?" Shiho asked, turning to Yu.

"The first time Naru-chan and I met was when I needed help getting fertilizer up, and the next major event was when he saved me from some thugs."

"Really? First it was me up on the roof, then it was Hifumi at the church, and now it's Haru with some thugs. With your record of saving damsels in distress, I wouldn't be surprised if you rescued a princess from a castle." Shiho replied with a coy grin on her face.

"Hifumi as in Hifumi Togo?" Makoto asked.

"That's not important right now. But to get back on track, the company's future isn't looking all that good, so Haru's dad is trying to save it." Yu stated, trying to get back to what they were originally here for.

"By any means necessary?"

"No. There are a few lines he won't cross. In the end, he decided that marriage might be the best option, and I gave my consent, but…" Haru started.

"Her fiance's an absolute asshole." Yu finished.

"Um… that's one way to put it." Haru exclaimed, taken aback.

"What'd he do?" Makoto questioned.

"The night he and Haru met, the man got drunk and almost raped her."

"HE TRIED TO DO WHAT?!" Shiho exploded, now fully invested.

"He didn't go through, thankfully, but-"

"Haru, where is this guy? I'm going to strangle the bastard." Shiho growled, cracking her knuckles.

"Count me in." Makoto added, rolling her shoulder.

"W-wait! I already have an idea on how to deal with him!" Haru reasoned.

"Does it involve cracking his skull open? Because if not, I'm not interested." Shiho replied, cold fury in her voice.

"We can't solve this problem with murder! Even if we somehow got rid of Sugimura and managed to get away with it, father would just find me someone else, someone who could be potentially worse than Sugimura."

"Then we'll kill him too, and the one after that, and the one after that, until your father either finds you someone who treats you right or gives up."

Haru was left with stunned silence before Yu voiced his own thoughts.

"We're not going to kill the man you two. We're better than that. Haru, what exactly was your idea?"

As if broken from a trance, Haru suddenly blinked a number of times before snapping towards Yu.

"O-oh, right. See, the problem is that father cannot break off the engagement or else there will be a significant scandal in the business world. But father loves me more than his company. So my plan is this; Yu will pretend to be my boyfriend."

"I'm sorry, what?" Yu asked.

"If I present you to father, and we manage to convince him that I'm in love with you, it should be enough to convince him to break off the engagement."

"Are you sure about that?"

"As I said, it'll take a lot for Father to break this off because of the scandal, but he also deeply cares for my well-being."

"There might be an alternative; have you heard of the Phantom Team?" Yu asked, getting out his phone.

"Of course, I was here when their strange card was plastered everywhere. That, and they're all over the news, but almost everyone at the company thinks it's a load of hogwash."

"What about you?"

"Well, both calling cards said the person in question would confess, and that's just what they did. It's difficult to argue with evidence you've seen with your own eyes. And before you ask, yes, I did put his name on the site. But there's a chance that they won't do it, and I can't really afford to wait. Which is why I wanted to talk to the three of you. I didn't want my plan to put a strain on your relationships."

"When did you put it up?" Yu asked.

"This morning."

"And how long can you stave off this marriage?"

"A few months. We do need proper planning, after all."

"Then I suggest we wait. If the Team doesn't change his heart in a few days, then we can enact your plan."

Haru took a deep breath and looked at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world. It didn't take long before she looked back at Yu.

"Very well. We'll wait for three days, and if nothing comes of it, we'll do it my way."

The bell's ringing could be heard from the roof, and it prompted the teenagers to start moving. Before they left to return to their mundane school day, Yu pulled up the Phansite, and sure enough, there was a request for a man named Ozai Sugimura.

"We're gonna steal his heart today aren't we?" Shiho whispered, looking over his shoulder.

"You bet. By the way you were pretty intense back there." Yu pointed out.

"Yea, what of it?" Shiho asked in an accusatory tone.

"You know you can't just tell people you're going to kill someone right? Even someone like Sugimura."

"That man tried to _rape_ Haru! You said so yourself!"

"I know, but you need to keep your temper under control."

"You can't seriously expect _me_ to stay calm when it comes to monsters like him! Especially after what I've gone through!" Shiho yelled.

"I know, and I'm not asking you to. Just save your fury for the Shadow's alright?"

"… fine." Shiho grumbled, making her way to class, clearly not happy about the lack of support. The rest of the school day went by, same as always, but the heavy atmosphere quickly changed to excitement when Kawakami quickly rolled in a TV and began hooking it up. The murmurs of the other students confirmed what Yu was thinking. But he felt his curiosity get the better of him. Tapping Ann on the shoulder, he asked what was on his mind.

"Does the school always do this when Akechi's going to make an appearance?"

"Yea, ever since Kamoshida was taken down. They do it to show the students what they can achieve, and it happens few and far in between, so it doesn't disrupt school all that much."

The TV let out a cackle as electricity flowed and brought the screen to life. The student's whispers only intensified as the Detective Prince himself stepped up, and it was the women especially that were excited by his appearance.

"Looks like the show's going to start! I can't wait to listen to his silky voice!"

"I still can't believe Akechi-senpai's still single… Do you think he'd be interested in me?"

"How could a man so handsome hang around trash like the transfer student?"

"Maybe Akechi-senpai's using him. You know, underworld contacts and all that."

Yu felt his skin bristle as the harpies continued to prattle on about how Yu couldn't stack up to the man on TV. If only they knew their oh-so-precious Akechi-senpai actually took orders from the 'trash'. But their whispers were quickly drowned out once Sae also joined. Then it was the boy's turn to run their mouths.

"Hot damn, look at that bod!"

"That's Akechi-senpai's boss? She doesn't look that tough."

"Maybe, but she's hot as fuck! Give me five minutes with that hottie, and she'll be begging for me to ram her non-stop."

Yu couldn't help but form a sadistic smirk at their remarks.

_I wanna see you fools try, just so I can see her eat you alive and throw your bones to the hounds._

The rumor mill started to die down as the news anchor began to speak.

"Hello hello Tokyo! Welcome back! Today, we have not one, but TWO exciting guests on the show! You know both of them already, but we'll introduce them anyway for formality's sake. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the best and brightest of the Special Investigations Unit; the Detective Prince Goro Akechi, and the Incorruptible Justicar Sae Niijima!"

_Incorruptible Justicar? Not a bad title_

The audience in the studio let out a sizable applause as the two entered. Akechi gave a wave and blew kisses to the crowd in the most overblown manner possible. The girls in the class let out 'oooos' and 'aaaaaaah's, and Yu could swear he saw one swoon. All the while Sae fast-walked to the couch in a rather unceremonious manner.

"Now, today we ask them for their opinion on the latest trend sweeping the nation."

"I take it you mean the Phantom Team?"

By now, the whole class had quieted down so they could hear the pair better.

"As observant as always Niijima-san! There are some among the general public that believe this to be some kind of stunt, that something else entirely was responsible for the so-called 'changes of heart'. Won't you please let us know your thoughts? The whole nation is dying to know what the two greatest law enforcers in Tokyo think about the ones who allegedly 'stole' the hearts of Kobayakawa and Togo."

Yu held his breath, ready and eager to hear Sae's opinion.

"If I'm being perfectly honest, I do believe the Phantom Team exists." Sae started.

"How interesting! To be frank, I would've thought that you would be the first to claim there was something else behind this." The host remarked.

"And I did, at first, and so would anyone else with a brain. The ability to steal desires? Force people to have a complete change in personality within a matter of hours? It's ridiculous. But, the evidence cannot be denied. Brain scans, psychiatric tests, and health history all show that the victims are not only perfectly fine, but sane. It can't be hypnosis, because that only works if you want it to, and it can't be blackmail, because the crimes they had to confess to would ruin their lives forever. Ergo, the only logical solution is that they exist. I can't say how it's done, but there's no denying the simple truth; the Phantom Team is very much real."

There were murmurs among the students.

"I knew it!"

"Is she for real? Something had to have gone wrong with the tests."

"Unbelievable, they even got the police fooled."

The show hosts looked stunned. It was clear that he wanted to call foul on her assumptions, but bit his tongue. Apparently her reputation as a no-nonsense officer of the law had reached even the media. Well, that and she probably made what kind of person she was clear with previous public appearances.

"I see. What about you Akechi-kun? Do you agree with your partner?"

Akechi gave a cocky smirk.

"As a matter of fact, I do. Not only that, but I believe that there's a supernatural element involved."

"Oh really? Can you elaborate further?"

"I cannot, at this moment. But if someone were to look at this case with the mindset that there's something going on that can't be explained with just science, many aspects suddenly seem possible. Of course, this is all just speculation and theory. I, and my partner, need more time for investigating."

"I see. If you believe that, then surely you must have an opinion on the Team itself?"

"I do indeed. Personally, I believe they are allies of justice. If it wasn't for them, Kobayakawa and Mistusyo would still be ruining who knows how many lives."

"So you're saying that you support them? Even though they did your job for you?"

"I am. Mitsuyo and Kobayakawa both were able to get away with what they'd done for years now, slipping under the radar. How many people are taking advantage of others that the police can't stop?"

"I see. I didn't know that the police were spread so thin."

"Well, as powerful and massive as the department is, it can't handle everything, and as talented as Sae-san and I are, we cannot be everywhere. So the Phantom Team giving us a hand every now and then is appreciated."

"Ah, so you're saying that they're a part of the police?"

"No, but our goals are aligned; the protection of innocent people and the removal of criminals."

"You're completely wrong Akechi."

All eyes focused on Sae, who spoke for the first time without being spoken to. The prosecutor narrowed her eyes at her partner, a silent signal to stay quiet. The host picked up.

"My my! You think otherwise Niijima-san?"

"You'll have to forgive my partner. He's young, and because of that, he's also a bit naive. Make no mistake; no matter what Akechi may say, the Phantom Team is a danger to society."

There was a gasp throughout the class at her words. Yu felt a shiver go down his spine as she looked at the camera, as if to let him know her next words were intended for him.

"Oh my! Why do you believe that even after Akechi-kun just defended them so vehemently?" The hostess asked.

"Because they are operating like they are above the law, acting as judge, jury, and executioner, running rampant in any way they please. No one, even one with the most noble of intentions, is above the law. True, they may be on the side of justice for now, but for how long? How long until they inevitably begin to abuse their power? I want the viewers to think of someone precious, someone important to you."

Yu could see that people around him began to relax, and even heard Ann mutter 'Shiho'. After a few seconds, Sae continued.

"Now, I want you to envision that one day, you meet them, and they don't seem like themselves. The rest of the day, they keep acting strange, almost the complete opposite of how they were before. You discover that they had their hearts stolen, and they'll never be the same again. The person you care about is now lost, changed forever, and the ones responsible are free to do it again to someone else. And again, and again, and again. Such power should not go unchecked."

"I don't think that could be so bad. After all, some people could use a change of heart." One student muttered, shooting a glare at Yu.

_Screw you too, jackass._

"The Phantom Team isn't like that." Akechi countered.

The camera turned to the detective prince, who stared down Yu's guardian. Sae turned to Akechi, less than pleased about the public defiance.

"Oh? And what evidence do you have to support that?" Sae demanded.

"They've only gone after criminals."

"So far. And it won't stay that way forever."

"What if you're wrong? What if perhaps the Phantom Team are people that are just trying to help?" Akechi countered.

"If that's the case, then perhaps they should work with the police. After all, you yourself said that law enforcement can use all the help they can get."

Akechi's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, caught completely off guard by Sae's argument. But before he could find the right words, Sae turned the camera.

"As such, I'd like to send a message to the Phantom Team. If you truly are servants of justice, then get in contact with me, and lend your strength to the law's."

_Considering all the good the law's done me?_

"If you don't, I'll take your refusal as confirmation that my concerns are justified. And make no mistake, if that happens, the SIU will hunt you down and destroy you, and I will lead the charge. You have one week." Sae declared, her signature glare only making every word all the more menacing.

"I-I believe that's all the time we have! Thank you so much for joining us Niijima-san and Akechi-kun. We'll be right back after these messages."

With that, the TV began to play the ads and Kawakami quickly turned it off. The final bell rang, and the rumor mill started up again with a vengeance. First up was the boys.

"I want that Sae to step on me."

"Careful who hears you dude. That's the sister of the Student Council President you're talking about."

"She was scary as hell. If I was in the Phantom Team, I'd be shitting myself."

"Tell me about it. I swore the room temperature dropped a few degrees when she hit us with the glare. I can't believe someone so hot could look so dangerous. Rawr."

As the boys filed out, the next set of voices was the girls.

"I'm surprised by how hard Akechi-senpai supported the Phantom Team. You'd think he'd be against vigilantes that try to do his job."

"They took down Kobayakawa, of course he's on their side. I just hope he doesn't get in trouble for it."

"Oh he'll be fine. But I wonder if the Phantom Team will join her."

"To be honest, I thought that they were just a big hoax, but if the SIU is sending the Prosecutor Queen _and_ the Detective Prince after them, they have to be bad news."

The last of his class made their way out the door, and Yu couldn't help but let himself slump in his chair. The moment didn't last long as his phone vibrated in his pocket. Whipping it out, he saw Morgana shoot the whole group a text.

Morgana: WHO IN ALL THE NINE HELLS DOES THAT BITCH THINK SHE IS?!

Hifumi: Wha-?

Morgana: "THEY'LL ABUSE THEIR POWER"?! LADY, OPEN YOUR EYES! EVERYONE IN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY IS ABUSING THEIR POWER!

Hifumi: What happened?

Morgana: MAYBE IF THE PEOPLE RUNNING SOCIETY WERE ACTUALLY DECENT HUMAN BEINGS, THE PHANTOM TEAM WOULDN'T BE NECESSARY!

Hifumi: Should I come back later?

Shiho: Didn't you see the news?

Hifumi: No. In fact, classes just got out. Why? Did something happen to Akechi during his interview?

Shiho: Something happened all right. The Special Investigations Unit just declared war on us.

Hifumi: Oh dear. That's not good at all.

Morgana: AND THAT'S NOT ALL! THERE WAS THIS BITCH NAMED SAE NIIJIMA ON THAT TOLD COMPLETE AND TOTAL LIES ABOUT US!

Hifumi: Like what?

Morgana: SHE SAID WE'D ABUSE OUR POWER! WE SHOULD TAKE HER HEART NEXT!

Yu: Morgana, turn off caps lock. And if we did take her heart just because she said bad things about us, we'd just be proving her right.

Morgana: Well, how about stealing her heart because she's going to fight us?

Shiho: If we did that, then they'd just replace her with someone else.

Hifumi: We should wait until Akechi gets here before we decide what to do. The SIU is not an opponent we can afford to underestimate.

Yu: Agreed. Let's just keep a calm head before going forward.

* * *

Akechi found himself alone with a _very_ irritated Sae Niijima. In fact, he was pretty sure that if they were at the SIU HQ, she'd order him downstairs for some "CQC training". But as luck would have it, the best she could do was a broom closet.

"What in the world were you thinking? Do you know what you just declaired with that stupid outburst of yours?" The prosecutor growled.

"Outburst?"

"That talk about how not even the police could take down Mitsuyo and Kobayakawa. Do you have any idea what you just did? You just told the whole nation that the police department couldn't do it's damn job! Not only that, but you also threw support behind the Phantom Team!"

"That's because I believe that they are righteous."

Sae's hand collided with her face.

"I can't believe I actually have to spell it out for you, but the Phantom Team are not the heroes in those Western comics you're obsessed with."

"I know they're not. But I still believe that they're good."

"Based on the smallest shreds of evidence?"

"Some of our biggest wins came from the smallest shreds of evidence." Akechi reminded.

"You're right on that front. But you haven't bothered to consider alternatives."

"I don't believe the Team is composed of evil people."

"And do you also believe they have no connection to the mental shutdowns?"

The question caught the teenage detective off-guard.

"W-what? Where'd this come from?"

"For the past five years, people have been experiencing strange phenomenon that causes them to-"

"To stop functioning. It's called the 'case from hell' because there's virtually no way to find a pattern or evidence. I've read the reports Sae-san."

"And the case of the Phantom Team has some parallels, don't you agree?"

"I'll admit that much, but that doesn't mean that they're one in the same!"

"They're, at the very least, using similar methods."

Akechi bit back a groan at that.

"Alright, fine, I'll give you that."

"And only that?"

Akechi had to tread carefully here. If he pushed too hard in support for his friends, Sae would know something was up.

"The idea that they're using similar methods to the mental shutdowns also has other implications. For example, there might be a force behind the shutdowns. Perhaps the Team is a part of that force that went rogue? Or they could just be a group that's aware of it and is trying to fight back."

Sae pressed her thumb to her chin.

"What do you mean?"

"What if… what if Kobayakawa was just a test run?"

Sae raised her eyebrow, a subtle hint that she was both interested and wanted him to continue.

"We know that Mitsuyo Togo was a woman with immense clout, wealth, and power. She, as well as a few other people, benefited from a number of mental shutdowns. If, hypothetically speaking, there was a force responsible for those, she'd have to be a part of it. In comparison, Kobayakawa was just a simple teacher. Whoever or whatever is behind the shutdowns has some kind of power, and the Team acquired that very same power. Using Kobayakawa as a test subject, they now know how to use it, they're going after the force responsible for the mental shutdowns."

"Then why have Mitsuyo confess? Why not just kill her outright if they're trying to fight this hypothetical force?"

"Because having her turn herself in has the same effect as giving her a mental shutdown, but it leaves her alive. The Phantom Team have proven that they, at the very least, don't want to become what they're trying to destroy. They don't want to fight fire with fire. That's why I believe that they're righteous."

Sae took in a deep breath of air.

"I'll admit, your logic has some merit. But this is all just speculation. We're going to have to investigate further before we learn something concrete."

"Agreed. I could be completely wrong, and the Phantom Team are nothing more than just a bunch of hooligans that got this power by complete accident and are only now realizing just how potent it is."

"Precisely. Either way, they won't stop with Mitsuyo."

"That's something I can say with one hundred percent certainty. No matter who they are, or what they're motivated by, they're just getting started."

"And who knows when they'll stop. Or who they'll stop at." Sae muttered.

The prosecutor's watch beeped, and she turned to Akechi with a forlorn look in her eyes.

"I need to get back. You take the rest of the day off Akechi."

"R-really? Thank you Sae-san."

"Don't get used to it." Were the last words Akechi's boss said before she exited the janitor's closet they were in. Akechi's lips morphed into a frown. He knew that there was no way he could convince the prosecutor that the Phantoms were good unless either he confessed he was a part of it, or she met them herself. But he could worry about that later. Right now, he needed to check his phone, and see how his teammates had taken the news.

Akechi: Alright, I'm here.

Yu: Welcome back Akechi.

Akechi: So what did I miss?

Shiho: Morgana had a major meltdown.

Akechi: Oh really? Let me scroll through this chat.

.

.

.

Akechi: Oh dear Lord…

Hifumi: It's good that you're back. Now we can start planning our next move.

Yu: Everyone head to Akechi's place. We'll do better if we can talk in person.

Shiho: See you there!

* * *

It didn't take too long for them to assemble at Akechi's small apartment. The teenage detective had at least attempted to make it presentable, stacking paperwork in different piles, taking out the trash, and doing the dishes. But the cork walls were plastered with all kinds of information, from news articles, photos, police reports, most of which pertained to Mitsuyo. At the center of the web was the silhouette of a man with a "**?**" in place of where his face would be. Hifumi was the last to arrive, and Akechi finished making some instant ramen for the group.

"Sorry it took awhile." Hifumi apologized as Akechi handed out the plastic bowls.

"It's no problem. In fact your timing couldn't be better. We were just about to eat." Akechi informed.

"Ah excellent."

Hifumi took a seat, and everyone turned to Yu before eating.

"So… what's our next move?" Morgana asked.

"That's the question, isn't it?" Yu responded as he contemplated his next words. After a precious few seconds that felt like centuries, he answered.

"The way I see it, we only have two real options; take Sae up on her offer, or keep doing our own thing. We can't really choose to stop being the Phantom Team anymore; Sae would still hunt us if we stopped."

"There's no way we're working with her!" Morgana cried out.

"Morgana, try to see things from her perspective. As far as she knows, we're a group that have the ability to do whatever we want and not be held accountable for it. She and I speak from experience; the moment you take away the ability to make someone accountable for their actions, sooner or later, they _will_ abuse that power."

"But that won't happen to us… right?" Shiho asked.

"No. I wouldn't defend us if I thought otherwise."

"Akechi's right. We've all been on the receiving end. We all know what it's like to be the victim, and so long as we don't go too far, we'll never be like those we're fighting." Yu supported.

"But this Sae person has backed us into a corner. I can't help but feel that the so-called 'meeting' she wants to have is a trap. And if we don't go to her, she has an excuse to come after us with all her might." Hifumi declared.

"Your instincts would be correct Hifumi. Sae has made it clear that she is no supporter of us, and if we were to meet her, she would arrest us before we could finish greeting her." Yu backed up.

"I somehow doubt she could take down all five of us." Morgana scoffed.

"You haven't seen her in action. The only people who could give her even a lick of trouble are Akechi and me." Yu replied.

"And that's assuming we catch her without Makoto-san. Sae-san's younger sister is even more talented than her with martial arts, only held back by the fact that she isn't anywhere near as ruthless." Akechi added with a sullen look.

"Well, if we can't meet her, maybe she can meet us." Hifumi suggested.

"Uuuh… what? Isn't that the same thing?" Shiho asked.

"Let me explain. If we meet her in the real world, we're captured. If we don't, we gain a powerful enemy, one we can't afford to deal with while also trying to hunt down this Puppet Master. But what if we brought Sae into the Metaverse?" Hifumi explained.

"It wouldn't be much different. She'd recognize Yu and I, even with our masks and costumes, and after that, it would just be a matter of time before she found out about the rest of you with a little investigation." Akechi countered.

"But what if she met our Personas?" Yu asked.

"Oooh, that's a good idea. She'll be expecting regular people, not our inner selves." Shiho pointed out.

"Our Personas? That… that actually could work. We'd need to hammer out certain details, but the idea has merit." Akechi pondered.

"Hold on. Let's say we manage to pull this off, and we have meetings with Sae. What's to stop her from gathering information about us and betraying us later?" Morgana asked.

"I don't think she would. Sae-san is a woman with a staunch sense of justice. She wouldn't stoop to treachery, especially since she asked us to meet her."

"I'm not sure Akechi. I'm pretty sure that's your personal bias talking." Hifumi pointed out.

"No. Sae said she would at least hear us out, and say what you want about her, but I know from personal experience that she's a woman of her word." Yu countered.

"Still, trying to meet with Sae in the Metaverse with our Personas will prove tricky, at the very least." Morgana reminded.

"We can work on it before we head into Mementos. Is everyone done eating?" Yu asked with a burp.

The group stacked their plastic bowls on top, each and every one of them ready and willing to get this show on the road as Yu teleported them into the Metaverse. The next few days promised to be interesting.


	59. Practice Runs

The trip to the SIU headquarters was short, due in no small part to the lack of traffic. Once inside, they had to figure out where exactly to meet her, and it didn't take long to realize the best place was the roof. Once up there, Yu let Izanagi loose.

"**OOAAAAHHHH! OI! Ten thousand yeeeeaaaars will give you such a crick in the neck!"**

The others let out a hearty chuckle at Izanagi's antics, but Hifumi looked on in surprise.

"Hey, wait a moment. Our Personas have always been silent except for when we awakened. How come Izanagi's able to talk?"

"**It's because I'm special."** Izanagi replied confidently.

"Hmmmm, actually, we never tried to see if we could talk with our Personas. Let's try it. COME ROBIN!" Akechi ordered.

The white Persona heeded his master's command, appearing behind Yu's brother-in-arms. But that was about all it did, standing proudly as it awaited a command on what to do next. Akechi spoke to his other self.

"Robin, can you hear me? Can you talk?"

"**But of course! I didn't forge a contract through sign language, after all!"** The Persona replied, striking a dramatic pose and causing Akechi's cheeks to turn red with embarrassment and the others to giggle at the thief's theatrics.

"I wonder what the others have to say." Yu pondered loud enough for the others to hear.

"BOUDICCA!"

"LADY TRIEU!"

"FU HAO!"

One by one, the inner selves of the Phantom Team appeared behind their respective mistresses. Boudicca looked around, no doubt searching for enemies, while Fu Hao observed the actual persona users, and Lady Trieu simply stood still. Just like with Robin Hood, they did nothing but stand there until Izanagi cleared his throat.

"**Hello ladies. I'm so glad you could join us. Especially you Boudicca."**

"**It feels good to be summoned outside of combat. You look as great as ever Izanagi."** Boudicca replied, looking around.

"**I don't detect any foes. I'll let you all know if I see anything." **Fu Hao informed, looking at her board.

"**Lighten up Fu! It's not everyday we're summoned and given a chance to relax!"** Lady Trieu reminded.

"Alright! Looks like we can all talk to Sae using our Personas!" Shiho cheered.

"**Step one of our plan is complete. Now we must discover how to lure our opponent here."** Fu Hao observed.

"**The noble Sae-san is not our opponent! If all goes well, she will become an incredible allay in the battle against the wicked villains that plague our society!"** Robin Hood reminded, pointing to the sky in a dramatic fashion.

"Wow. Your Persona really goes all out, doesn't it Akechi?" Shiho asked with a small smirk on her lips. But before the teenage detective could respond, Fu Hao gave a reply.

"**You foolish fool! There is no guarantee Sae Niijima will be our ally! Everything she's said has not only inspired opposition to my queen's forces, but she has also become its champion! Should we clash, she will make a worthy opponent indeed!"**

"Did your Persona seriously call Robin Hood a foolish fool?" Morgana asked, but was ignored by the inner selves.

"**HA! Spoken like a queen that doesn't know who she faces! You know nothing of who Sae-san is! And when she joins her considerable might to our own, I will laugh in your face!"** Robin Hood declared pointing two fingers at Fu Hao.

"**Ok guys, settle down. I don't want you to fight."** Boudicca tried to say, only to get drowned out by Hifumi's Persona.

"**You dare accuse me of not knowing our enemy?! You will pay for such an insulting insult!" **Fu Hao roared, completely forgetting she was a support Persona.

"**FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"** Lady Trieu cheered as the two prepared to brawl.

"Enough." Yu commanded in a calm voice. The two Personas looked at the human for a moment. He crossed his arms, and gave them a look that made it clear there would be consequences for not complying. So the two gradually relaxed, subdued by a man that didn't even need to raise his voice to show he meant business. Once that was done, Morgana spoke up.

"So, back to where we were before we got horribly derailed, we need to figure out how to get Sae into the Metaverse without us."

"Think we could steal her phone? The Meta-Nav seems to go to whichever phone any of us own. If we manage to get hers and it showed up, would that be enough?" Shiho suggested.

"**Ahhhh, but you see, there are many problems with that! To begin with-"**

"Robin, I'm going to ask you to keep quiet unless you're spoken to." Akechi replied, thoroughly embarrassed by how his true self was behaving.

"**I… I've been betrayed!" **The Persona declared as he clutched his chest with both hands before falling over slowly and dramatically.

"But he's right, there are more than a few issues. For starters, we want to be in control of when we meet her. If she gets the Nav, it will be only a matter of time before she discovers how it works. And if we haven't won her over by then, then all we've done is signed our arrest warrant. Second, there's the matter of actually stealing the phone; Sae-san keeps it on her person at all times. There's no way we'd be able to get it unless she knew us. Finally, there's the fact that you could be wrong about the Nav appearing on her phone simply because it's in our possession."

Shiho's shoulders sagged as Akechi's words sunk in. But then Morgana spoke up.

"The way I see it, the biggest hurdle is getting Sae here without any of us being present. Any ideas on how to do it?"

"Without any of us being present…" Yu mumbled.

"**What if we were to activate the app remotely?"** Izanagi asked what his master was thinking.

"Remotely? Is that even possible?" Shiho asked.

"For us? No. But Futaba-san should be more than capable of pulling it off." Akechi reminded, his eyes darting around as his brain began to create a plan.

"Ok, but the range of the Nav's not that much. The phone would have to be close by, and if we're far away, it would take our Personas time to get to her. Time she could use to easily find it, landing us back to square one." Hifumi pointed out.

Yu's eyes widened, as if he had a sudden realization.

"Wait. Is it possible to have our Personas already summoned when we enter the Metaverse?" The Wild Card asked.

"Pffft. Of course not." Morgana scoffed.

"Oh really? Let's see if that's true." Yu replied, his lips forming a smug grin as he activated the Meta-Nav. Before long, the group was standing on top of the SIU Headquarters in the real world.

_Alright Izanagi, let's see if you can get in. Put some distance between us and you._

The god did as he was told, heading over to another building, with the other Team members none the wiser. Shortly after, Yu transported them back into the Metaverse. When they did, their own Personas were gone, but Izanagi was exactly where he was back in the real world, still a fair distance away.

"**INCOMING!"** Izanagi hollered as he rocketed towards Yu's friends.

"WHAT THE-?!" Akechi exclaimed.

"WHERE'D HE-!" Shiho screamed.

""BUT HOW-?!" Hifumi yelled.

"THAT SHOULDN'T-?!" Morgan cried.

"Looks like my hypothesis was correct." Yu replied.

The others looked at their leader as if he grew three new heads, and he took it as his cue to begin his explanation.

"Since I'm able to summon Izanagi in the real world, I can see and hear things I normally wouldn't be able to. He can't directly affect the world, and I can't summon any other Personas, but it does provide a unique advantage And now I know that if I come into the Metaverse with him already out, he comes into the Metaverse with me, no matter the range." The Wild Card explained to his confused comrades.

"Why don't we have that talent?" Hifumi pondered.

"I'm sure it's the same reason why he's able to call Izanagi in the real world and summon multiple Personas; the power of the Wild Card continues to surprise." Akechi answered.

"Ok, so does this mean we can actually meet with Sae?" Shiho asked, a tinge of excitement in her voice.

"There's only one obstacle: the only phones with the Meta-Nav are ours. We'd have to retrieve it once the meeting is over, and if they become a regular thing, whoever would go to get it would appear suspicious."

"Hmmmm. Shiho said that if we stole Sae's phone, the Nav would appear on it. What if we were to instead get a new phone and have the Nav arrive on that?" Hifumi suggested.

"That… could work." Yu replied, a smile forming on his face.

_Oh yea. It's all coming together._

"So the plan is to get a new phone, have the Meta-Nav transfer to it, hide it somewhere up here, get Futaba-chan to activate it remotely, and then have Seeker enter with Izanagi out, and the two meet. Anything I'm forgetting?" Shiho asked.

"Nothing that I can think of." Morgana replied

Akechi rubbed his hands together with vigorous enthusiasm.

"I'm so excited!"

"Well, keep that attitude. We'll see if we can actually pull it off when we get to the real world, but for now, we need to get to Mementos." Yu reminded them.

"Right. Onwards! To victory!" Akechi cried as they began to descend back down to ground level.

* * *

The Phantom Team had arrived at their destination, entering the same eerie subway station that was the entrance to humanity's Palace. Hifumi looked with horror on her face as she observed the first level of the colossal place.

"This… is something born from the desires of the masses?"

"Disturbing, isn't it?" Morgana replied.

"It's not so much the visual itself, but the fact that such a visual came from regular people. Makes you wonder what other horrors they can create."

"Everyone who made history started out normal, and Kobayakawa and Mitsuyo didn't develop a Palace overnight. It's probably going to get worse the further down we go." Akechi reminded.

"Speaking of going further down, check out the Nav." Yu declared, showing them his phone.

"A new area has been confirmed in Mementos."

The map of the Palace consisted of two simple white blocks that looked like a poor mishmash of different buildings, but those blocks took up the whole image the Nav gave for Mementos, meaning that they had only scratched the surface. But after the app spoke its piece, there was a _PING_ and red waves began to concentrate on the area below the previous block, like a radar pinpointing the spot that disturbed it.

"A new area?" Akechi asked, looking over the new ugly drawing that graced the map.

"Looks like it's called… Chemda. At least this one's pronounceable." Shiho replied, wincing just thinking about how to say the last block's name.

"You mean Aiyatsbus?" Morgana asked with perfect pronunciation and a smug grin.

"Show off." Shiho growled.

"Alright, let's get what we came for. We have three main targets. Ozai Sugimua. Hikari Shimizu. Daisuke Takanashi."

As Yu put in their names, the Nav responded with a "Candidate found in Mementos", accompanied by a red "!" next to some blocks. But…

"Hold on. Sugimura's Shadow is on an unexplored part of the map." Yu pointed out, seeing the third "!" on a black piece of the map.

"Then I guess we'll just have to explore it then." Shiho replied coyly as Morgana summoned the Mona-mobile. Yu let out a sigh. _Nothing_ was ever that simple.

* * *

The Shadows that inhabited Aiyatsbus were not that powerful, much to their surprise. Sure, they were similar to the ones they fought in Kobayakawa's Palace, but the Tricksters had grown considerably since then, so much so that they were able to charge through without even summoning their Personas. Because of that, the group had managed to get to the end of Aiyatsbus with almost no mental fatigue. Good thing too, because the Shadow of Hikari Shimizu was waiting for them, the only thing between them and the wall with crimson markings. The girl looked at them with a slimy grin.

"Oh my. Are you new toys for me to play with?" Shimizu asked, locking eyes with Yu, who gulped as his pulse climbed.

"You're forcing a guy to be your slave! Don't you think that's wrong?" Shiho asked, fury beginning to surface.

"As if! He loves me and worships me like I'm the only girl in the world!"

"I've heard of the way you treat him at school, and how he's asked you to stop!" Hifumi shot back.

"Oh please! I may hurt and humiliate him, but I know he loves it, I know he sees it as a sign of our love!"

"Delusional. That's the only word I can think of that describes you." Morgana muttered.

"Really? There are a few other unflattering words I know that describe her perfectly." Shiho hissed.

"You know what? Screw all of you! I'm gonna make you by playthings, starting with that handsome hunk! I think he'll be my favorite." Shimizu yelled, pointing right at Yu, who felt a sudden rush of excitement swell in his body.

Shimizu's Shadow dissolved into a puddle of tar, quickly reforming into a woman with purple skin and two horns. She wore nothing but a very, _very_ short skirt and her long black hair covered her bare breasts, with a mask on her head and a katana in each hand.

"There's no way in hell I'd ever let you lay a finger on my boyfriend, you BITCH!"

With Shiho's cry, the battle began in earnest. It was Shiho who naturally made the first move, summoning Boudicca to unleash a torrent of flames upon the dominatrix girl. Apparently she couldn't take what she gave, because Shimizu went to the floor the moment the fire hit her.

"She's down already? Pariah must be _pissed_." Hifumi observed as the Team performed an All-Out Attack. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to kill her. The woman picked herself up, and stared at Shiho with unbridled rage. Before the teenager could react, Shimizu grabbed hold of her and quickly sank her fangs into Shiho's neck, the twin fangs tearing through her flesh like it was paper. Before Shimizu could finish off the volleyball player, she was suddenly pushed away by a blast of nuclear energy. Shiho looked to her savior, and saw Yu with some kind of dragon/dog hybrid.

"Shiisaa! Dia!" Yu cried out.

Like with all healing magic, Shiho felt relief for the pain, but not a renewal of her strength. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long, as Hifumi took it upon herself to boost Shiho's attack power. Shimizu wasn't blasted away far, and as the girl tried to get up, Shiho grabbed her flail and charged, smashing Shimizu in the face. The girl staggered backwards, trying to get her bearings.

"Everyone, form up on me!" Yu ordered, pulling out his pistol. Their opponent regained her senses, and saw that the Team had pulled out all of their ranged weapons. In a desperate gamble, she prepared to charge, but she didn't take a single step before the Tricksters loaded dozens of bullets into her. Shimizu fell to her knees and dissolved, leaving only her Shadow.

"I-I lost? No. No no no! I don't want to lose Moto! He's mine!... right?"

"I hate to break it to you. Actually, no I don't, but if you keep this up, he'll hate you." Shiho informed.

"I… I don't want that."

"Why'd you start treating him like that to begin with?" Akechi asked.

"He was going along with it so I thought he was cool with it. I… actually wanted to be more than friends with him."

"Then tell him the truth; that you're sorry, and you want to be with him." Yu ordered.

"Yea. I think I'll do that."

Hikari Shimizu's Shadow faded into nothing, leaving behind only a glowing orb, which Yu snatched.

"That's one finished. The other two are further down." Hifumi informed, and the Team trudged along, descending further into Mementos.

* * *

The path of Chimda was different. Not just in the way that the Shadows were about as strong as the ones in Mitsuyo's Palace, but it was wider, far more areas to explore. There was a yellow tint in the air, as opposed to the regular red. The treasure here was more valuable as well, with Yu finding different accessories that did a variety of things from boosting their defense, increasing their perception so they could evade more easily, as well as all the usual stuff he could sell to Kaneshiro. Before long, they had arrived at a rest area, another station of people boarding trains to head to an unknown destination.

"Alright, let's take five." Yu ordered, prompting everyone to plop themselves down on a chair.

"Hey, I've got a question." Hifumi stated.

"Shoot." Yu replied.

"Considering that we know the trains are functional, are we sure that riding on the tracks is safe?"

"Well, we've only seen them working in these rest areas, and there are a few tracks that lead to nowhere. If the trains did work, we would've seen evidence of that. Besides, even if they did work, we have this." Morgana explained.

Morgana reached into her utility belt and pulled out a grenade with an "!" on it.

"We picked this up earlier among the other treasure here. It's called a Goho-M. It teleports everyone and everything back to the last Safe Room we were in, or in Mementos' case, rest area. If we ever find ourselves needing a quick emergency exit, we'll just use this. But this is the only one I have, so we need to use it when all else fails." The guide explained, putting the Goho-M back in her pouch

"Oh I remember that. Seeker used one back at Mitsuyo's Palace." Akechi reminded.

"Yup. Now, is everyone ready to keep moving?" Yu asked, earning nods of affirmation in response.

"Just be sure not to run us too ragged, alright? We still need plenty of energy if we want to get down to wherever Sugimura is hiding." Shiho reminded her leader.

* * *

Turns out they didn't need to go far. At the very next level, Hifumi declared that Fu Hao discovered the location of Daisuke Takanashi, and he was at the very end of the hall. It didn't take long to battle with any Shadows they encountered and claim any treasures they found. After a few minutes of exploration, they found the portal that would take them straight to Daisuke, hopping through it, to where their quarry waited for them. When he spotted the group, he gave a scoff of disgust, and his face grimaced as they approached.

"So, you're the infamous bully Daisuke. Thought you'd be taller." Yu remarked.

"And you're just a punk that's asking for a bruising. The hell you want?"

"We want you to stop picking on people!" Shiho answered.

"It's not my fault they can't fight back!"

"And that's supposed to be justification for making their lives miserable?" Akechi asked.

"Go to hell you little shits! I can do whatever I want if I have the power to get it!"

"Oh really? Then I guess that logic applies to us too, which means we're allowed to make you change your ways!" Morgana replied.

"Come at me bro!" Shadow Daisuke challenged right before he convulsed, and transformed into a Jack Frost.

"A Jack Frost? This should be easy. Fu Hao!" Yu cried, summoning a woman with orange skin who pelted Shadow Daisuke with flames. Yu expected that to give the Team an opening for an All-Out Attack, but much to his surprise, Daisuke actually managed to reflect the attack. Not only that, but when the flames smashed into the one that summoned them, Yu felt them cling to his clothes, effectively making him on fire. Shiho, upon seeing what happened to her boyfriend, decided on a different approach.

"Dormina!" She cried out, but Shadow Daisuke proved to be too fast, causing Shiho to miss. Akechi picked up the slack, having Robin Hood unleash a blast of holy magic. Shadow Daisuke let out a yelp of pain and turned to the Detective Prince. He squealed a 'He-Ho!' before unleashing an Evil Touch. Suddenly, Akechi felt a cold fear curl around his heart.

"I'm not… afraid… of you." He shuttered, shaken to the core and powerless to even defend himself as Shadow Daisuke launched a punch that sent the Trickster flying.

Yu had to act fast and he knew it. Fire was a complete no-go, so he summoned a different Persona, one that looked like a silver noodle with a strange wolf head.

"Makami! Energy Drop!"

Akechi felt the fear that paralyzed him suddenly vanish as Yu's Persona worked its magic on him. Shadow Daisuke prepared to attack again, but was cut off when Morgana hit him with a gust of wind magic, forcing him back.

"Everyone regroup on me!" Yu ordered, the fires beginning to singe his flesh.

The Phantom Team rallied to its leader, their opponent already recovering from Morgana's attack.

"Pariah, what was that attack you were trying to do earlier?"

"Dormina? It's a spell that's supposed to put him to sleep."

"Try it again. If it works, we can do an All-Out Attack. If it fails, Ace and I will focus on dealing damage. Carmen, lend support wherever you can."

"You got it!" Morgana confirmed.

"Here he comes! Dormina!"

This time, the magic worked, and the Jack Frost stopped dead in its tracks, tumbling to the floor, and only the snores from it were the only indication that he was even still alive. Just like Yu said, the four unleashed an All-Out Attack, inflicting more damage due to the rest he had. But when all was said and done, the little bastard was still alive.

"Oh for the love of-! At this rate beating him up in the real world would be faster _and_ easier!" Shiho pointed out.

"Hee-ho!" Shadow Daisuke cried, preparing to attack yet again.

"That's it! Lady Trieu! Lucky Punch!"

Morgana's Persona stretched out her free hand and it morphed into a boxing glove that was attached to some kind of spring. Shortly, the spring propelled the glove forward, smashing right into the bully's face and stopping him right in his tracks. The Tricksters saw their chance and took it, hitting him with another All-Out Attack. This time, it was enough, and the Jack Frost faded to reveal the true Shadow.

"About time. Hold on to that trick Carmen. I doubt that will be the last time we'll need it." Yu told his teammate as the bully began to speak with remorse.

"I-I can't lose! I don't wanna be the one picked on!" He pleaded.

"Aw, that's too bad. It's your fault since you couldn't defend yourself." Shiho repeated.

"No! If I don't prove myself, I'll be the one that gets picked on! I can't take that! I can't!"

"Wait… that means there's someone else behind this." Akechi deduced.

"Please… help me."

"We will. But that doesn't excuse what you did. Go and apologize to the ones you picked on." Yu ordered.

"I will! Thank you so much Phantom Team!"

With that, he vanished, leaving behind the Treasure, which Yu swiped. The team let out a collective sigh.

"That was one resilent pest, wasn't he?" Hifumi asked.

"He wasn't even all that tough. We just kept getting unlucky." Yu countered.

"Well regardless, we did what we came to do. Now all that's left is Sugimura." Shiho reminded as Morgana summoned the Mona-mobile.

"That's assuming we're able to even reach him. That battle took more out of us than it should- wait, what the?"

Morgana tried to start up the Mona-mobile, but every attempt was met with sputters from the engine.

"Hold on, I can fix this." Morgana assured, getting out and popping the hood of their bus.

"Today is just not our day, is it?" Akechi teased.

"Can't you just summon a new one Carmen?" Yu asked.

"And leave behind something that can be fixed?! Hell no! I'm not leaving behind any of my babies unless I have no choice!" Morgana barked back.

"Fine. Guess we'll wait." Yu whined.

"Oh spare me Seeker. I know the problem, and fixing it won't take long."

"Ok, jeez."

"Note to self, do not insult the Mona-mobile." Akechi muttered.

"Hey, I just had a thought. Once the meeting with Sae is over with, who will our next target be?" Shiho asked.

"Well, I imagine that depends on how the meeting goes. If everything goes well, our next target may come from Sae-san herself." Akechi replied.

"No. We didn't become the Phantom Team to become servants of the law." Yu replied, bitterness prevalent in his words.

"I know that recent brushes with the law have left you jaded Seeker. But we'll be taking orders from Sae-san, not the SIU."

"Ace, Sae is a part of the SIU, and even if she wasn't, she isn't much different."

"That's not true."

"Oh really? She constantly abuses people who question her with the excuse of 'CQC training', she's been suspicious of me since I got here, and she's constantly trying to put restrictions on my freedom." Yu argued.

"Ok, fine, but she's also had plenty of opportunities to fall into the pit of corruption that's claimed so many other once great officers. Bribery, death threats, she brushed aside any and all attempts to stop her from enacting justice. Besides, you mean to tell me she has never once done something for you?"

Yu took a pause to collect himself.

_She did take me in, even if it was to repay the debt of my father keeping her and Makoto safe the night theirs died. And she apologized when she jumped to conclusions, and dropped my curfew when I got a job._

"Ok, ok. But what I'm saying is that we shouldn't run into a meeting with Sae blindly just because we personally know her. That could only end poorly for us."

"You know you two, there's actually a way for us to know if Sae's the kind of person we want on our side." Shiho pointed out, holstering her phone and showing them the opened Meta-Nav.

"Sae Niijima." She spoke.

"Candidate found."

Akechi let out a gasp of alarm.

"In Mementos."

And then released a sigh of relief.

"Well, it's good to know that she doesn't have a Palace at least." Yu stated, Morgana poking her head out to offer her own two cents.

"I still don't think we should meet with her after she trash-talked us like that. Plus, it's far more likely to be a trap."

"I will admit, while she did compare us to the Mental Shutdowns-" Akechi started, though it was a very poor choice of words he started out with.

"She did WHAT?!" Shiho yelled.

"Ummm, what are the Mental Shutdowns?" Morgana asked, temporarily stopping the repairs.

"The Mental Shutdowns are a strange phenomenon that's been striking Japan and sometimes even overseas. There's no warning, no symptoms, people just suddenly have their brains fried. Most lead to death, and those that survive become vegetables. I heard about them even in my rural hometown." Yu explained.

"There are some threads that connect certain victims, leading some, such as myself, to believe that they are not some kind of accident or illness, but murder. But no one could prove it. At least, not until now." Akechi added.

"Mitsuyo said that she served a puppet master. I'd say that's more than enough to support the idea." Shiho finished.

"Exactly. I'll be investigating in my free time to see who the most probable culprit is. After that, we'll take their heart."

Morgana slammed the hood of the Mona-mobile and entering her bus

"Alright. Come on baby, I know you can do it." The guide encouraged as she turned the engine, and was rewarded with a purr as the vehicle came to life.

"HAHA! SHE LIVES!"

"Alright, let's keep going down. Hopefully we can reach-" Yu started before he got interrupted by Hifumi.

"GUYS! YOU HAVE TO LEAVE NOW! SOMETHING **REALLY** POWERFUL JUST ENTERED THAT LEVEL!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down Venus. What is it?" Ace asked.

Their answer came in the sound of rattling chains. Morgana's eyes widened in fear as she slammed her foot on the gas brake. The other three Tricksters were caught off guard and their bodies rammed into the seats.

"OW! What the hell Carmen?" Yu asked.

"THOSE CHAINS BELONG TO THE REAPER!"

Whatever Yu was going to say in response died in his throat as the Mona-mobile turned the corner. Standing there was a hovering giant without feet, wrapped in a tattered black cloth coat. Dried blood decorated the head, where only a single eye poked out, searching for anything to kill. In his two bloodied and gloved hands were revolvers with barrels as long as the Mona-mobile. When Shiho, Morgana, Akechi, and Yu looked upon this Shadow, it felt that they were seeing the face of death. And that face gave them its full, undivided attention.


	60. Fear the Reaper

Malice. Pure, unfiltered malice. That was all the Team could detect coming from the Shadow that Morgana called the Reaper. Its singular eye narrowed at them, as if their very existence insulted it. Morgana turned the bus around in a fit of desperation, terrified for both her life and the lives of her comrades. The Mona-mobile was able to do a complete u-turn as the Reaper turned back the hammer on one of the pistols. The bus was barely able to make it a few feet before the Shadow fired the bullet, a sound more akin to a death wail than a gun going off. Morgana turned the corner, dodging the round. And if it was a normal bullet, that would be enough. But nothing about the Reaper was normal.

As the bullet speed behind the Mona-mobile, the Tricksters felt the sheer raw power coming off that small slab of metal in waves. As the bullet passed behind the bus, the metal let out a whine, then a screech, and before the Team knew it, the back of the Mona-mobile was being ripped off as the bullet passed by, the glass shattering as if a loud scream was unleashed. Time seemed to slow down as the metal twisted like a wave traveling in the same direction as the round, and before long the entire rear of the bus was completely torn off and ripped to pieces just because a bullet barely missed it. With the rear suddenly dislodged, the vehicle spun out of control into a crash, tossing around its riders like they were candy before finally colliding with a wall.

_The bullet didn't even need to make contact to do damage. No wonder Morgana was so scared of this thing._

"Everyone ok?" Yu cried, and was met with dozens of groans.

"Come on, GET UP! We have to get out of here now!" Morgana yelled, forcing herself to her feet, with the rest of the Team giving pained groans as they forced themselves to stand. Getting out of the wreckage that was once the Mona-mobile, the Team saw the Reaper waiting for them, no doubt to see if they died in the wreck. It was incredibly disappointed. Pulling back the hammer of its second pistol, Yu let out a panicked order.

"MOVE!"

The Team forced themselves to do just that, Morgana healing the group so that they could at least try to outrun the monster. Yu looked over his shoulder to see it aiming one of its pistols at the group. Before it could fire, Yu unleashed Izanagi, who swatted the gun away with his blade, the absurd length of the barrel working in Yu's favor. The bullet launched, but rather than be stopped by the wall it should've hit, the wall instead collapsed before the impact, and the same thing happened to the next one and the one after that, leaving a trail of holes through the concrete. By now the group had made it to the escalators that would take them down to the next area.

"Narukami come on! You don't stand a chance against that thing!" Morgana yelled as she and the others frantically made their way down. Yu himself turned around and sprinted to join his teammates. Meanwhile, Izanagi hurled a bolt of lightning at his opponent, but the electricity passed over it like water over glass. The Reaper tried to swat the god away, but Yu's Persona proved to be too illusive. That's when the Shadow fired without pulling back the hammer first, causing a gust of wind far bigger than anything the Team conjured to collide with Izanagi, forcing him to the ground. Before the god could even fully realize what happened, he found himself pinned underneath one of the Shadow's revolvers. The Reaper pulled back the hammer this time and pulled the trigger.

Under normal circumstances, any damage done to a Persona would only result in a headache that would vary in intensity depending on the damage. But that didn't happen. This time, when the bullet passed through Izanagi's skull, Yu felt something just stop working inside him. The Wild Card clutched his heart as he felt his eyes roll up into his skull. Blood as black as ink oozed out of his eyes, nose, and mouth. Izanagi, now with a giant hole in the back of his head, was limp and lifeless as he lost his color. Before long, the Persona seemed to turn to clay, turning a dusty brown as cracks formed across his body, before finally crumbling to dust. Akechi turned around just in time to see his friend fall to the floor.

"NARUKAMI!" The ace detective cried out.

The Reaper turned its attention to the survivors, who had arrived at the station that would take them further down, and slowly began hovering to where they were. But Akechi refused to leave his leader in a dismal place such as this. Summoning Robin Hood, the Persona grabbed the corpse that was once Yu Narukami, and flung it to the escalators, where Akechi picked him up and threw him down before putting Robin Hood away so he wouldn't meet the same fate as his friend. The Reaper pulled back the hammer and fired, and Akechi only barely managed to get them both out of the destructive radius the bullets seemed to have. The roof collapsed as the cursed metal flew into it, and the Tricksters hoped that would slow the Reaper down long enough for them to heal Yu. When Akechi slid down to the lower level with Yu's still warm body, Shiho screamed when she saw her leader.

"W-what happened to him?!" She yelled.

"The Reaper happened. Damnit, we should've used the Goho-M the moment Venus told us it entered." Morgana grumbled, reaching into her utility belt.

"Izanagi got shot, and Yu ended up like this. Not only that, but he's showing the same symptoms as those with mental shutdowns. All the victims look like this; eyes rolled back, black blood pouring from the eyes, mouth, and nose. Makes sense now that I think about it; Personas are just a person's Shadow that's been accepted, and that... thing is far stronger than anything we've faced." Akechi observed as he laid his friend's body down.

"Stand back!" Morgana ordered, slamming the last Revival Bead into the Wild Card's chest. Yu's eyes rolled back to the way they should be, and he let out a feverish gasp of air. He forced himself upright, hacking all the way. Shiho let out a sigh of relief as Yu let out Izanagi, who seemed to be in a daze, swaying side to side as he hovered. But before anyone could celebrate, they heard a massive boom, like a wrecking ball, and small chunks of rock made their way down. Then they heard the chains.

"The Reaper's coming! You guys have to get out of there!" Hifumi warned.

"Damnit! Alright, everyone get close to me!" Morgana ordered as the sound of chains grew louder and louder. By the time the Reaper laid its eye on the Team, Morgana had thrown the device down, enveloping them in a bright light. When it vanished, they were gone, leaving the monstrous Shadow to stew in loathing the fact its prey got away.

The Team itself found itself not at a safe room like last time, but at the entrance of Mementos, where Hifumi was waiting.

"That was close. I thought you could only kill someone's inner self if it was a Shadow, not a Persona." She pondered.

"Under normal circumstances, but the Reaper is on another level. It's claimed the lives of Wild Cards and Champions of Ruin alike. There's a reason Master Igor instilled a deep fear of it when he created me." Morgana explained.

"I just hope we don't meet it again. We lost our last revival bead because of it." Shiho pointed out.

"Sorry about that guys. This is on me." Yu apologized bashfully.

"No it's not. If the Mona-mobile hadn't broken down it wouldn't have found us." Morgana replied, shame reverberating in her words.

"What's done is done. Rather than moping around, we should learn from our mistakes. It doesn't matter who's responsible, all of the pieces are still on the board, and that's what counts." Hifumi responded.

"Venus is right. We're all alive to fight another day. I suggest we go back home for tonight." Akechi suggested.

"Agreed. But we come back tomorrow and see if we can make it to Sugimura." Yu declared, pulling out his phone and bringing all of them back to the real world.

* * *

Yu came into the apartment tired and disheveled. The encounter with the Reaper had indeed been a daunting one, and even Izanagi himself claimed to feel fatigue. Right now, he just hoped that Makoto had already made dinner so he could chow down on that then go straight to bed. But when he came in, he instead found not just Makoto, but Sae as well, setting the dinner table. The younger Niijima beamed when he entered the room.

"Ah Yu-kun, perfect timing!"

"Hey Makoto." Yu replied lazily.

"You appear tired Narukami. Been staying up too late?" Sae asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just didn't sleep well last night is all. By the way, we saw that… announcement you made in class." Yu added, hoping to divert attention away from how he looked.

"Oh really? What do you think about it? I've heard a lot of mixed opinions about it at school." Makoto informed.

"I think you're making a mistake by provoking them like that Sae-san." Yu responded honestly.

"Oh? How so?" Sae asked, curious.

"Well, you just taunted an unknown force. Said force is able to forcibly make people have a complete 180 in terms of personality, and we don't know if that's all they can do. You painted a target on your back."

"All officers of the law have targets painted on their back. Besides, if they do come for me, I'll at least be able to learn their methods."

"So that's why you did it? Put yourself at risk of getting shot just so you can learn where the sniper is?"

"Why are you so opposed to it Narukami?"

"It's just… I don't want you to get hurt Sae-san. Makoto and I need you. If you go down, I don't know who will take care of us." Yu answered, surprising himself with how honest he was with the first sentence. Try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to hate Sae enough to hurt her. But no matter how much he didn't want to, Sae might not give him a choice.

"Narukami look at me." Sae ordered, gingerly touching Yu's arm. The teenager found himself looking into his guardian's crimson orbs.

"You and Makoto are the reason why I'm going after the Phantom Team to begin with. So far the changes of heart have been just giving the victims a complete 180 in personality, like you said. There's also some kind of website where anonymous people can post the names of people whose hearts they want the Team to steal. You and Makoto are good kids, and I don't want you two to throw away your futures by turning into a pair of punks just because some idiot posted your names out of jealousy, anger, or some other reason."

"Well, we might be targeted anyway, given that you've declared war on them." Makoto reminded, causing Sae to give a slight wince.

"But even so, I still support them." the younger Niijima continued, earning surprised looks from both Yu and Sae.

"You do? Why?" Sae asked.

"They got rid of Kobayakawa. After what he did to Emiko, Shiho, and who knows how many others, I'm glad that he's finally rotting away. I wonder if dad would've supported them."

Yu saw Sae's eye twitch at the last part. She turned to her sister, but there was sorrow in her eyes, rather than anger.

"I don't know Makoto. But daddy's not here; we are, and it falls on us to protect each other, no matter what."

"And uphold justice." Makoto added. Sae shook her head, a deep frown on her face.

"No. Justice isn't even a concern. It's nothing more than a lofty ideal that only disappoints, a tool used to trick people into thinking the world is fair."

"I disagree. I think that true justice exists, and it's something that benefits the innocent, and that everyone should try to uphold." Makoto responded.

"Interesting."

Without warning, Sae turned to her ward.

"Tell me Narukami, what is justice to you? I would've thought what happened to you has changed your view on it." Sae asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I… I don't know to be honest. Before I came here, I thought justice was just following the law, and look how that turned out."

"And now?"

"Now… I don't know. But whether it was just or not, I'm glad that Kobayakawa is gone, and I'm sure plenty of people feel the same about him and Mitsuyo.

"Fair enough. I take it that means you also support the Phantom Team?"

"Yea. A part of me hopes that they'll eventually come across the bastaaaaaaa, guy who framed me, and they'll make him confess."

"What about the other part?" Makoto asked.

"The other part knows that's a pipe dream." Yu confessed, which got a solemn nod from Sae.

"You're starting to learn how the real world works. Even if they somehow found him and proved your innocence, the record would be difficult to expunge."

"But it'd be therapeutic knowing that he got what he deserved."

"It's a rare thing for someone to get what they deserve Narukami. It doesn't matter if they're good or evil." Sae replied, a bitter edge in her voice.

"Well I suppose you're right. I mean, I didn't deserve the hospitality you two gave me. You could've thrown me into an attic and left it at that."

Sae reached out and gently took Yu's hand with her own. Her words were resolute, but warm.

"We're family Narukami. And come hell or high water, family sticks together."

"Come on, the food's getting cold. Let's eat, and talk about something else." Makoto suggested. A suggestion the other two were happy to take.

* * *

Once Yu was finally in the privacy of his room, he looked at his diary. The last entry was a while ago, most of the pages now detailing strengths and weaknesses of the various Shadows he's encountered. They were useful before Hifumi joined and began to keep a catalogue of her own in Fu Hao. Even so, Yu kept it updated, just in case Hifumi was sick or otherwise unable to join them. But from time to time, he'd use the diary for its intended purpose. And now was one of those times.

_Dear Diary:_

_Well, the past few weeks have been eventful. Not only did we successfully give Mitsuyo a change of heart, but because of that, Sae-san and Akechi had to make an appearance on the news to give a statement about the Phantom Team. Akechi supported us, as expected, but Sae has now become the face of opposition towards us. She said we were too dangerous to be left free, and in private, she said that she's concerned that we could be a threat to her sister, and even compared what we're doing to the Mental Shutdowns. And now, I have a choice; either try to find a way to meet her on my own terms, or be branded a dangerous criminal all over again. My friends and I have found a way to do the former, but what will happen after that will determine a lot about the future of the Phantom Team. I hope I'm doing the right thing._

* * *

Ryuji sat in his room, leaving unfinished homework on his desk, failed tests in the trash bin, and a paused video game on his TV. He couldn't focus, no matter what he tried to do, Iwai's threat looming in his mind. So far, the yakuza member hadn't made any demands, but even Ryuji wasn't stupid enough to think that he'd stay away forever. That's when his phone rang.

"Here he is; the biggest douche of the universe! In all the galaxies, there's no bigger douche than you!" The device sang.

Yup. That was the ringtone Ryuji set for Iwai. The delinquent considered ignoring it, maybe smashing his phone against the wall so he could have an excuse not to talk to the criminal. But Ryuji knew that it would only stall the inevitable. So he instead picked up.

"The hell do you want?"

"Wow, you actually picked up. I was worried I'd have to come and meet you in person."

"The hell do you want, asshole?"

"Heh. You got your father's fire. Good to know you got at least some of his blood in your body. As to what I want… well, that's a matter best discussed in person. There's an alley in between the bookstore and the arcade, it leads to a small shop. Meet me there tomorrow, five PM, sharp. And don't think about keeping me waiting. You won't like what happens." Iwai instructed, his voice icy as he stated the final sentences.

The tone from the device let Ryuji know that the yakuza member had hung up, and the delinquent let out a low pitched whine. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and he didn't know what to do. He couldn't go to Akechi, Yu, or Makoto on account of his fight. He couldn't go to Shiho or Ann because they wouldn't know what to do either. He couldn't go to his parents because that would only complicate things. That left only one person. Tomorrow, Ryuji would ask her for advice.


	61. Troubled Teenagers

"I still can't believe we can't go further." Shiho complained as the Team returned to the real world.

After they had gotten out of school, the first thing the group did was head into Mementos, in order to finish what they started. It started out well enough; the Team was able to clear through level after level with only minor difficulty. The problem came when they arrived at the end of the block. Like with the others, there was an obsidian door with crimson markings on it, sealed at the walkways that would take them further into Mementos. But unlike the others, when Yu touched it, the door didn't budge. The Team tried to open it in every way they could; they had the Mona-mobile attack it, they assaulted it with their Personas, and they even looked to see if there was some kind of lock they could bypass to open it. Nothing worked. Sugimura was beyond their reach.

"We can't go further _for now_. The Nav said that removing distortion cleared the way before. If we can make another Palace collapse, we should be able to make it further." Yu reminded her.

"Yea yea." Shiho replied, but Yu knew the real reason why she was so dejected.

_She hates the idea of someone like that being allowed to keep doing what they're doing. Looks like I'm gonna have to pretend to be Haru's boyfriend. There'll no doubt be rumors about me being a piece of shit, but there'll also be some that'll say it's because she can't satisfy me._

The only progress they made was reaching the end of a block they already half explored, and even with them taking extra caution to not encounter the Reaper again, the whole ordeal took about two hours.

"Alright, everyone head back home. Akechi, let us know if you find anything." Yu ordered. As his teammates went their separate ways, he felt his phone ring.

Futaba: Yo Yu! Get ur booty over to Akihabara! The King's gonna meet a challenger!

Yu: I'm sorry, what?

Futaba: Get to Akihabara! Now! I'll explain later!

_Might as well. I got nothing else to do._

* * *

Yu arrived at the so-called arcade town, and he had to admit, there were way more people here than he thought there would, and almost all of them were crowded around the arcade. Looking around, it didn't take him very long to find Futaba; the girl was jumping up and down like she found the greatest treasure of all time. The teenager walked over, and the small girl grabbed him and dragged him inside, where it was even more crowded, except for one area; the Gun About video game.

"Alright, so here's the level description; a guy by the name of Takekuma has reached second place in the Gun About high scores. Because of that, he gets to challenge the King himself, which he did. So now, the King's gotta come on out to defend his title."

"I'm sorry what? Who thought that up?" Yu asked, utterly confused.

"Basically, the King of the 'Cade is one of the greatest video game players to ever live. He holds the top score for pretty much every game in every arcade in Tokyo. The handful of times he's been beaten was only because the guys fighting him were using cheats. Trust me, this guy is no joke. So many people were trying to take him down or challenge him that he made a rule; if you made it to second place in any game, then and only then will you be able to challenge him to a fight. If you win, he'll delete his high score, making you number one. But if you lose, you can't challenge him again for another year."

"Wait, seriously? Why don't they just beat his high score?"

"Because he literally has the highest possible score. The machines just cannot count any higher than what he's got."

Before Yu could question her further, he heard someone cry out.

"Make way for the King!"

Yu turned to the source, and the people did as they were told; acting like the new arrival was Moses and they were the Dead Sea. As the people parted, Yu was finally able to see who was arriving. From the way Futaba talked about him, Yu expected a man dressed in a cyberpunk sort of outfit. But what he got was a boy who couldn't have been older than twelve.

**He must be quite the wunderkind if he can obtain such fame at such an age.**

The kid in question was wearing a zipped-up blue sweater with the word 'NOOBS' printed on it, a pair of worn jeans, but the most distinguishing feature was the bright red hat that had only two words on it; 'Get Smoked.'

"There he is. The King of the Cade. Shinya Oda." Futaba introduced.

Shinya Oda. So that was his name. Behind him was his opponent, Takekuma, looked ready and eager to begin the showdown, while Shinya himself looked like this was nothing more than a giant waste of time. He even yawned as he took his place. The two of them exchanged words that Yu couldn't hear because of the crowd, and started the game up.

_Izanagi?_

**I gotchu my friend**

The god hovered behind the two gamers and Yu focused on seeing the world through Izanagi's eyes. The battle was simple enough; the two of them were in a contest to see who could survive the longest on the hardest mode possible. As expected, it started fairly easy; only the most basic of enemies were sent, and easily dispatched. Time seemed to fly by as the enemies became stronger, faster, more durable, and more numerous. Every round took more and more health and life from the two players, but as the contest continued, Takekuma gradually lost more health than Shinya did, and by the time they reached level 360 out of 500, Takekuma had run out of lives while Shinya still had three to spare. Yu expected the kid to end the match, say "good game", and everyone else could go back to their lives.

But it turns out Shinya didn't appreciate coming all the way out here and having to put down this guy. So he kept playing, as if to showcase just how outclassed Takekuma was. He climbed the levels with ease, making his way all the way to 460. The crowd muttered words of amusement and awe, but the King wasn't satisfied with just that. No, he had to humiliate Takekuma even further, climbing the ranks to the final level. Once that level was cleared, Shinya still had a spare life, and the kid glared at the man who challenged him, as if to say "They call me King for a reason."

**Wow. This kid is not a good sport whatsoever. **

Thoroughly humiliated, Takekuma left the arcade, and Yu had a feeling he wouldn't ever come back. The people themselves followed shortly after, each and every one of them either mocking Takekuma or praising Shinya. But before the King himself could leave, Futaba approached him.

"That was brutal, even for you." She accused.

"There's supposed to be a new character in Super Bash Bros dropping today. I'm missing out on a new challenge because some idiot actually thought he stood a chance. But why are you here Futaba? You should've known the outcome the moment you heard who he was up against."

"I'm actually here to introduce you to someone!" Futaba answered, gesturing to Yu to come closer.

"No." Shinya replied, turning around.

"He's not a challenger! He actually wants to be your student!" Futaba hastily spat out.

"Huh?" Both the teenager and middle schooler asked.

"Yup! This guy reallllllly wants to train to become a pro gamer! It could help him with… other activities." Futaba replied, giving a gentle nudge to Yu in the hopes he'd play along.

_He does know how to handle guns. Don't know how well that will translate to the Metaverse._

**Well, if worst comes to worst, at least we'll be better at video games.**

"Let me think about it… nah." Shinya replied in a bored tone.

"Alright, now that's what I'm talking- wait what?"

"I ain't in the mood to train some nobody. Got a busy enough schedule as is."

"Busy?! All you do is play video games and watch anime!" Futaba countered.

"Pot, my name is kettle." Shinya replied.

"Come on Futaba. He clearly isn't worth it." Yu interrupted, gesturing towards the door.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Yu managed to hide his smile. Shinya had made it abundantly clear that he was as proud as a peacock. And thanks to the fact that Yu's guts could be considered bold, he decided to take a chance at manipulating the elementary student's pride.

"Clearly he's not as skilled as he wants us to think he is. I bet he's using cheats somehow, and that's why he's not taking me on as a student; he knows he'll get exposed if he does."

"WHAT?! That ain't true!" Shinya yelled, his face turning red from Yu's words.

"Then I guess you don't understand the game all that well. After all, a true pro should have no problem teaching a noob the ropes." Yu countered.

By now, Shinya's face was as red as a tomato, and he looked ready to throttle the highschooler. He opened his mouth, and Yu could clearly see the restraint the boy had in keeping his tone calm.

"Ok, you know what? I'll train you. Give me your number, and when I call you, you'd better be ready. Here's my contact info."

The two of them exchanged information, and the middle schooler pushed past Yu with a huff. Before he left the arcade, however, he turned around.

"You can expect me to put you through the grinder. And if you're a bad student, I'm dumping you, got that?"

_I am thou, thou art I…_

_Thou hast acquired a new vow_

_It shall become the wings of freedom that will lead thee to the truth_

_With the birth of the __**Emperor**_ _Arcana,_

_Thou hast obtained the blessing that will grant thee new power._

"I understand, your majesty."

_Well, that's one way to establish a bond I guess._

"Wow. I thought for sure that we'd lost our chance. Nice going! Did you max out your speech stats or something?"

"No, it just happened to be high enough. But why'd you ask me here Futaba?"

"Huh? Weren't you paying attention? I thought that you'd be able to use the skills in your… _other_ job."

"Ok, Futaba, I know you don't know the details of that, but I fail to see how video game skills will translate over to my _other_ job."

"Well there's the basics; faster reflexes, quicker decision making, and so on. But you also never know what will come in handy. Like one time, I made mom and dad play tetris on a day we were all free. Later, dad had to help a friend move stuff to a new house, and not all of the stuff would fit in the trunk. But dad was able to find a way, and he said he got the idea from playing tetris."

"Really?"

"Yup!"

_Well, this is a gun based game. At the very least I should improve on that._

"Huh. Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Hey, while we're here, you want to play some rounds?" Yu asked, gesturing to the Gun About game. Futaba's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"OH YEA!" She squealed a little too loudly.

* * *

Ryuji found himself back at Kosei High. By this time of the day, most of the students had already left, only the clubs sticking around. But those that he crossed paths with gave him a nasty glare, and the glare only worsened when he asked where he could find Hifumi Togo. Ever since her mother's confession she's been ostracized from her school community. Thankfully, the people weren't so nasty they couldn't answer his one question. So now he was on the rooftop. And just like the people said she'd be, Hifumi Togo was there, playing shogi with another guy with blue hair. The blonde delinquent approached the pair, who noticed him.

"Oh hello Ryuji." Hifumi greeted.

"Sup." He responded in kind, but lacked his usual energy.

"Hifumi, who's this? I haven't seen him before." The blue haired boy asked, holding up his fingers as if they were a frame of a painting.

"Name's Ryuji. Do ya mind if I talk with Hifumi for a moment alone?" Ryuji asked, earning a nasty glare from Hifumi's friend.

"It's alright Yusuke. He won't hurt me." Hifumi assured.

"Very well. I shall take my leave then."

The boy, Yusuke, left as Hifumi began to put away her pieces. Ryuji took Yusuke's spot, a sullen look on his face. There was a brief moment of silence between the two, and it became more and more unbearable as Hifumi waited. Finally, Ryuji began to talk, finally deciding what he wanted to say.

"So, congrats on gettin' free of your old lady. Didn't think she'd be… ya know…"

"So awful of a person?"

"I was gonna say shitty, but that works too. Good to know that makin' that post actually made a difference!" He added, some of his usual joyfulness returning.

Hifumi simply smiled and nodded, not wanting to tell him that they were taking her heart regardless of his post.

"So anyways, I came 'cause… I need some advice." He confessed.

"Alright, considering how you were there to be a shoulder to lean on, I can certainly repay the favor."

"So um… I'm playing this real-time strategy game, so I want some tips."

"Oh really?"

"Yea. So, let's say… I make some mistakes in battle and the enemy's got me cornered. What should I do?"

"Well, since this is a game, I suppose you die. But, before you engage the enemy, you should construct a secondary base to retreat to. Defeat is always a possibility in battle, so it's a good idea to have a place to run to if the fight doesn't go your way."

"So that's it? Just turn tail and run?" Ryuji asked, a little surprised.

"Ryuji, there's a very big difference between running away because of cowardice, and running away to fight another day."

"Well… ok, that's a good point. Alright, thanks Hifumi! I'll put it to good use!" Ryuji replied, getting up to leave, only to have Hifumi grab his arm and stop him.

"Ryuji… this wouldn't happen to have anything to do with your fight with Yu, would it?"

"W-what?! W-where would you-?"

"Akechi told me everything. We were investigating mother together, after all."

It wasn't a complete lie; Akechi made sure to tell her and the others the same lie he and Yu told the Niijima sisters. Ryuji looked to the ground, then back to her, the forlorn look returning to his eyes.

"Believe it or not, nah. This ain't got nothin' to do with him. It's just… just stuff at home. Don't worry about it." Ryuji replied, yanking his arm away and strolling towards the exit. Before he left, however, he turned around to Hifumi.

"Hey, I know that your life's pretty much gone to shit. If you could go back, would you… stop yourself from meeting me? So I don't post your old lady's name on the Phansite?"

"Ryuji… it's true, my life has been hectic as of late. I've been kicked out of the Shogi League, the only person who doesn't glare at me with disgust is Yusuke, and I've had to endure harassment and death threats from families of my mother's victims. But if I'm to be honest, I think I'm stronger for it. So no, Ryuji. I wouldn't. I don't regret meeting you, nor do I regret what you did for me."

The blonde delinquent smiled, and for a moment, he looked ready to cry

"Thanks Hifumi, that means a lot. I… wanna be there for ya in the future. You need anything, give me a call." Ryuji declared, waving goodbye and going to meet his dreadful new acquaintance.

"I want to be there for you too Ryuji." Hifumi replied, determination beginning to settle within her.

* * *

Yu had plopped down on his bed, the exhaustion hitting him like a bag of bricks. After Futaba defeated him ten times in a row at Gun About, she had to go back home. With nothing else to do, Yu decided to read a book about the strategies of Fu Hao, and when he was done, he felt like his knowledge had increased to scholarly levels. Once that was over, he made a few lockpicks, a task that was quickly stopped once he realized he didn't have any materials. By the time he had returned, it was already evening. Now, with the lockpicks and homework done, Yu prepared to get into bed. But before he could slip away into sleep, his phone buzzed.

Hifumi: Hey, are you still up?

Yu picked up his phone, but saw that she put it in the group chat.

Akechi: I am. Been working on uncovering the Puppet Mater's identity.

Shiho: Why not interrogate Mitsuyo?

Akechi: That thought crossed my mind. But not only does she not know their identity, as her Shadow proved, but my director has stonewalled any and all attempts to interrogate her.

Yu: Really? Why?

Akechi: The official excuse is that the case is closed, and because of that, there's no need to see her. Unofficial excuse is he wants all of my efforts to be focused on taking down the Phantom Team. It actually took a bit to convince him that my loyalties lied with the Department despite my public support.

Hifumi: I'm a little surprised you didn't get fired for that.

Akechi: My intellectual prowess is rivaled by few others. The police would rather have me working with them, rather than against them.

Morgana: Well, they're in for quite the shock if they ever find out!

Shiho: Anyway, what'd you want to talk to us about Hifumi?

Hifumi: It's about Ryuji. He came to see me about strategic advice. But he didn't seem like himself; all of his usual energy and spirit seemed… drained.

Yu: No, I haven't seen him. Not since we duked it out.

Shiho: Wait, hold up. That brawl everyone was talking about was between you and Ryuji?!

Morgana: How come you didn't hear about it before? The rumor mill should've told you right from the start.

Shiho: Well… people did quiet down when they saw me walking down the hall… But still, why'd the two of you fight?

Yu: He saw me and Hifumi hanging out to discuss Phantom Team business. He assumed I was cheating on you, and proceeded to fight me.

Hifumi: It didn't help that I rejected him when he asked me out.

Shiho: Beating someone up because he thinks they're hurting someone else. That sounds like Ryuji alright. Why'd you reject him?

Hifumi: Because I simply wasn't ready, and now that I'm a part of the Team, I doubt I'll have the time.

Shiho: He's pretty reliable, loyal, and considerate. You should at least give him a chance. He could… pleasantly surprise you _;)_

Hifumi: B-back on topic, do you think that brawl is the reason why he's so down?

Akechi: I know that Ryuji kicks himself way too hard when he feels like he messed up or failed people, but he'd try to fix his mistake rather than sulk.

Yu: Yea. In fact, after the fight, he asked me what to do to make it up to me, and I told him to go to Makoto.

Hifumi: I see.

Akechi: Knowing Makoto-san, she probably sent him on a mission to retrieve Buchimaru merchandise. They stopped making that years ago, so he might be sulking over his failure.

Shiho: No no no. That's not Ryuji. If that's what happened, he would've apologized to Makoto-senpai and asked if he could do something else. He wouldn't brood around, and he certainly wouldn't go to anyone for strategic advice.

Morgana: Well, almost everyone here goes to school with him. Why don't we ask him then?

Akechi: He might get nervous if a large group confronts him. Especially if it has a stranger and a cop.

Yu: That's a good idea. I'll confront him tomorrow.

Shiho: I want to be there when you do. He might open up more if I'm there.

Yu: Alright, I'll see you then. Good night everyone.


	62. Blonde Blues

The next morning was the same as any other. Yu would wake up, get dressed, eat whatever delicious breakfast Makoto had planned for him, and ride the subway to school. Sometimes, he'd find an empty seat, and use the opportunity to read some books, an act that Makoto praised him for. This day wasn't going to be like most days.

"Hey Makoto." Yu began.

"Yes Yu-kun?"

"So, you remember my fight with Ryuji?"

"How could I forget? It was only a few days ago."

"Yea, well, it's just, I told him to talk to you if he wanted to make it up to me, and I'm just wondering what exactly you had him do."

"Oh. Well, I had him go and try to find some new Buchi-kun stuff."

"Isn't that supposed to be rare?"

"Well… maybe?" Makoto replied, giving a nervous and guilty smile while Yu crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. The train came to a halt, the pair arriving at their destination.

"Alright. Just curious since I hadn't seen him in a while."

"Well, if you want, we can go see him at school."

The two made their way to the school, determined to seek the former track team member out. But much to their surprise, he was actually waiting for them, right at the school gate. He waved to Makoto and Yu, a sour look on his face. Yu couldn't see any of the fire he had the last time they met. The boy just looked tired, but not the physical sort.

"Hello Ryuji-kun." Makoto greeted.

"Hey Prez. Here ya go." Ryuji replied, reaching into his bag and pulling out the Buchimaru toy and handing it off to her rather unceremoniously before walking inside.

"Hey, did something seem… off about him?" Yu asked.

"Yes. Normally, he'd be ecstatic about completing a task, and he would've made sure he did it right. But just now, he seemed…"

"Hollow?"

"That, and bored. I've never seen Ryuji-kun lack energy like that, even after a hard day of practice."

"I'm going to talk to him today. You want to tag along?"

"I don't think so. It might have something to do with your fight, so it might be best if it was just you."

"Alright. Wish me luck."

The school bell rang as Yu sat down, and Ann turned around. Thankfully, Ms. Umi was busy talking about a ratio of some kind to notice.

"Pssst. Narukami." She whispered.

"What's up?" He whispered back.

"Shiho told me Ryuji's been acting weird, and that the two of you are going to confront him about it?"

"Yea. I saw him at the gate. He doesn't look like himself at all."

"When are you going?"

"At lunch. Do you-"

"What about you, Narukami?"

Yu sat up at attention.

"As I stated, most buildings in the western world can follow a mathematical equation called the Golden Ratio. What is the name of the mathematical ratio that architecture in Japan follows?"

"The Silver Ratio."

Ms. Umi gave a huff of annoyance at the fact Yu got it right despite not paying attention. Ann turned back and gave a nod, answering the question he was about to ask.

* * *

Lunch break had arrived, and Ryuji was now a hunted man. Ann, Shiho, and Yu stalked the halls, searching for a bob of dyed blonde hair. At first, they didn't have much luck in the school itself, but Yu realized there was a place where people could go if they really wanted to be alone. He shot out a text to the others.

Yu: Everyone, get to the roof. That's the one place we haven't checked yet.

As everyone gave their replies, the silver-haired teen took off, fast walking to the roof. And just as he suspected, there Ryuji was. He was looking at his phone, a glum look on his face. But the glumness was quickly replaced with curiosity when he heard the door opened. Yu gave a simple wave as he approached. He also noticed that Ryuji hadn't eaten his lunch. Ryuji looked at Yu with confusion.

"Hey dude. What are you doin' here?"

"I actually came here to check up on you Ryuji."

"Check up on me?"

The door opened again at that moment, and this time Ann and Shiho walked through. Ryuji stood up, now on edge.

"The hell's goin' on guys?"

"We're worried about you Ryuji." Shiho explained.

"Huh? Why?"

"Why? Because you're our friend, and there have been rumors that… you haven't been well lately." Ann answered.

"Yea well, the rumors are full of bull anyway."

"Not this time, apparently. You haven't finished eating your lunch." Shiho pointed out.

"Yea well… that's 'cause… I just had a big breakfast is all." Ryuji excused.

"You're an even worse liar than Ann, Ryuji." Shiho pointed out.

"Ok, ok, fine. You two, I can understand, but why's he here? I fought him a few days ago."

"It was over a misunderstanding Ryuji. You were just doing what you thought was right, consequences be damned."

_I'm in no position to judge on that trait_.

"Yea, but that ain't a good enough reason to check up on me!" Ryuji replied.

"It is for me." Yu talked back.

"Well, I-"

"Ryuji, we want to help you. But you have to let us." Ann replied, not letting him think of another excuse. The seconds felt like years as Ryuji thumped his right leg uncontrollably.

"Look. What goes on in my life ain't your business. There's just… some trouble at home, alright? You guys can't do shit to help me." Ryuji growled, Ann and Shiho taken aback by his hostility.

"Ryuji… what's going on?" Ann gently asked.

"Just leave me alone guys." Ryuji replied as he grabbed his food and walked away. But before he could leave the rooftop, Shiho grabbed his shoulder and forced him to turn towards her.

"No. We're going to help you get through… whatever's happening to you. You can try to push us away all you want, but we're not going to abandon you because you told us to."

Ryuji didn't respond, instead just shoving his way through. Once he was gone, the girls turned to Yu. He couldn't remember ever seeing either of them look so heartbroken and disappointed.

"Well that… didn't go the way I hoped." Shiho started.

"I know. That's the total opposite of how Ryuji usually behaves. Something's seriously wrong." Ann added.

"Do you think… his parents are going through a divorce?" Shiho asked.

"That would explain a lot. Like how he doesn't want us to get involved, and why he thinks we can't help him." Yu deduced.

"Well… if that's true, there's gotta be something we can do, right?" Ann asked.

"We'll find a way Ann. Don't worry." Shiho replied.

Before the conversation could continue any further, the bell rang, signaling the end of break.

"Come on. We can focus more on it tomorrow." Yu replied, ready to return to school.

* * *

The cafe of Leblanc was as busy as ever. By now, word had spread to the others about how unsuccessful he and Shiho were at confronting Ryuji. The last text he saw was of Akechi saying that he'd investigate the situation between Ryuji's parents. As Yu served the last cup of coffee, he looked around and thanked his lucky stars for a lull in the usual action. He picked up his phone and began to search through to see what he missed.

Akechi: I'll be looking into the marriage situation of Ryuji's parents.

Morgana: Isn't this a major invasion of privacy? I mean, I know you guys care about him and all, but he said to leave him alone.

Hifumi: We help people who need it, whether they want it or not.

Akechi: We've interfered with affairs that have nothing to do with us before Morgana. I don't see a reason to stop now.

Shiho: Let's wait until Yu gets a break. Then we can talk more then.

That message was about 20 minutes ago.

Yu: Alright, I'm back. Anyone still listening?

Shiho: I am! Glad to have you back! I missed you!

Sojiro just so happened to walk by right at that moment and looked over Yu's shoulder as he read the last message.

"Who's this Shiho person?"

Yu froze and turned to his boss. But then Futaba had to pipe up and make him embarrassed.

"Shiho's his girlfriend."

Sojiro looked at Yu in surprise.

"Really? You actually managed to get a girlfriend? Well, it won't last. No relationship survives secrets like-"

"She knows about my criminal record."

Sojiro's jaw dropped.

"And she _still_ decided to go out with you? Kid, don't let her go."

"That's the plan." Yu replied.

"Hey look, I know that I might've been a pain in the ass-"

_What do you mean 'might've been'?_

"But not even I'm cold enough to let a fellow guy navigate the minefield that is love life without a guide."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'm willing to coach you."

"What do I have to do in return?"

Yu honestly didn't think that he needed Sojiro's advice, but the man was his boss, and this could be a good opportunity to deepen his bond with the cafe owner.

"Nothing really. Just make sure you don't hurt this Shiho lady."

"What?! I'd never hurt her!"

"Yea yea, I hear ya. So, first things first; what kind of girl is she? Judging by the fact that she knows about your record, I'd say she likes bad boys."

"Actually, she knows that I was framed."

Sojiro groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Work with me kid. What's she like?"

"Well, she likes to play volleyball, and she really gets into it. She's also incredibly kind, but fierce when she needs to protect someone she cares about."

"I see. Sounds like she's a good kid that'll take care of you in your twilight years. What are you planning to do with her for your next date?"

"Well… I was planning on taking her to a movie."

Sojiro shook his head with a scowl.

"Boring. Bland. Predictable. What exactly have you done so far?"

"Well, I've been nice, and-"

Sojiro immediately facepalmed upon hearing that.

"Nice? Seriously? You expect to go places just by being 'nice' kid?"

"Hey, what's wrong with being nice?"

"Look, being in a relationship with a guy who's just 'nice' is like drinking a cup of joe that's lukewarm. Sure, it gets the job done, but you can do better, and you know it. Women love passion, nice guys finish last because they only do the bare minimum, afraid to take risks. You're not gonna get any action for just acting like a decent human being. Now, please tell me you didn't take her to dinner on your first date."

"Actually, we did karaoke. I asked her friend what she liked to do, and we did that."

Sojiro nodded his head in approval, a smile gracing his face.

"Ah, did some homework did you? Good going. But don't rely on her friend too much. There will come a time when you'll have to know her well enough yourself."

"If I do well enough."

"And you will so long as you follow my advice. Now, you said she did volleyball? Did she do it because her parents forced her to, or because she wants to play?"

"She's really into it. She actually broke my nose because she kinda saw me as a rival."

Sojiro let out a hearty chuckle at that.

"Wow. So, she's a competitive girl, huh? In that case, I advise you go to the Odaiba Seaside Park. Lots of carnival games there, you might even win a prize for your lovely lady."

"Huh. That's… actually good advice. Thanks Sojiro. At least you make sense when you teach me about love."

"Huh? The hell's that supposed to mean?" Sojiro asked.

"An excellent question Sakura. What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Yu's face went white at the sound of his guardian's voice. Standing in the doorway was Sae Niijima, her eyes focused squarely on her ward. And she did _not_ look happy. Sojiro, however, tried to defuse the tension.

"Ah, welcome Niijima-san." He greeted.

"Hello Sakura. You didn't answer my question, Narukami."

"W-well, it's just, I didn't have to use any of your five-star restaurant dining skills, or your ballroom dancing lessons last time."

"Five-star restaurant dining? Ballroom dancing? What the hell Niijima? He and his girl are highschoolers, not celebrities."

"True, but it helps to be prepared."

"Look, a relationship is more than just fancy stuff. Sometimes, just being with each other's enough to make it work."

"Only sometimes though. Us women enjoy being pleasantly surprised."

"Not all, believe me."

"But it wouldn't hurt to have some extra skills."

"What good is having extra skills if you don't use them?"

"What makes you think he wouldn't use them?"

Sojiro shook his head, exasperated.

"My goodness, you're persistent. And how on earth do you think you're qualified to give advice on love life, sweetheart?"

"I've given people at work the same advice I gave my ward. All of them have been happily married for years now, or are on their way to getting married. And _don't_ call me sweetheart."

Sojiro huffed.

"Yea, and let me tell you how that happened; they took your advice, and did the exact opposite."

"Sae's a girl dad. I'm pretty sure that means she's qualified more than you on what the ladies like." Futaba chimed in.

"Well, at least we know she inherited her brains from her mother." Sae replied, earning a frown from Sojiro.

"... Your order?"

"Blue Mountain. And don't make it too hot." Sae answered, a triumphant grin on her face.

"Sure. But first, I'd like you to answer a question." Sojiro replied as he started to go to work.

"Ask away."

"Remind me; between the two of us, which of us is happily married and has a child of their own?" Sojiro replied, a smug smirk on his face.

Sae just sat there, her triumphant grin quickly turning to a bitter scowl.

"... Is my drink ready yet?"

"Here you go."

Sae took a sip and cringed.

"It's cold."

"Just like your bed. And let me give you a piece of advice. Drop the 'Ice Queen' act if you want to find a lover. If you can get a partner, you'll be able to share what they earn, which will allow you to spend time with your sister and not break your back before you're forty. And who knows? Maybe instead of being stuck with just giving advice about love, you could actually find it and start a family that you can actually spend time and make happy memories with. But hey, I don't know what I'm talking about because I'm not a girl, right? Just a little something to chew on _sweetheart_."

Sae glared at the barista before paying for the coffee and storming out, not even bothering to finish the cup. Yu prayed he wouldn't pay for Sojiro roasting his guardian like a coffee bean.

"Come again!" The cafe owner hollered at the prosecutor.

"Wow. You did _not_ hold back." Futaba stated.

"Of course I didn't. Someone wants to claim they're better at wooing ladies than your old man? Better bring the proof to back it up. Hey kid, how come you're so pale?"

_Gee, I don't know. It might have something to do with the fact you just pissed off the woman responsible for my well-being._

"Oh, you're probably nervous about the date, right? Here, take this."

Sojiro reached into his pockets and handed Yu a 5,000 yen bill. Yu took it, his eyes widening.

"Sir… I can't-"

"You can, and you will. Use it to play some games, win a nice prize for your girl. Enjoy yourselves." Sojiro cut him off, a warm smile on his face.

"Thanks boss."

"Don't mention it."

Futaba let out a little giggle.

"What are you laughing about?" Sojiro questioned.

"See Yu? Told ya dad would warm up to you if you gave him a chance."

Sojiro let out a sputter.

"B-but don't let it go to your head! I ain't running a charity here!" Sojiro grunted.

"I know sir."

The bell chimed, signaling another customer. Two elderly people came in, and the cafe owner turned to his worker.

"Take care of these two. I'm going to take a cigarette break."

"Sure thing. Hello, may I take your order?"

* * *

Hifumi sat in her home, throwing paper into a fire. Ever since Mitsuyo's confession, the amount of mail they'd received had skyrocketed. Most of it was just hate mail, telling Hifumi that she was a whore, that they'd kill her for what her mother did, that her father was a spineless coward, and so on. Those letters were now fueling the fireplace. But there were also a handful of a different kind of letters. Almost all of these were actually from Mitsuyo's victims themselves, and even the ones that weren't said the same thing; that they didn't hold Hifumi responsible for her mother's crimes. Those she kept locked away, happy that those her family wronged found it in themselves to tell Hifumi that they weren't angry at her. It gave her an inner peace. But that peace was disrupted when her phone buzzed.

Akechi: So I did some investigating. From what I can tell, both Yua and Hirohito Sakamoto are still as happily married as before. Morgana and I even went into the Metaverse and confronted their Shadows. Both seemed to be happy with each other.

Yu: So the problem isn't at home.

Hifumi: Did you guys manage to get anything out of Ryuji himself?

Shiho: No. He just… shut us out. Told us to not get involved. It was very unlike Ryuji.

Akechi: There's only so much we can do without his help. If worst comes to worst, we can interrogate his Shadow, but I'd rather not do that.

Morgana: I'm sure we'll find a way. But this Ryuji guy isn't our only concern. We now have three more days to meet Sae.

Yu: I managed to buy a spare phone, and guess what? The Nav transferred right over to it.

Shiho: So, you don't have it on your main phone?

Yu: No no, I do. I meant that my new phone also has it now.

Akechi: That means we can meet Sae-san!

Shiho: Yea. It'll be… eventful, that's for sure.

Morgana: I'm still not sure about this.

Yu: We won't know until we try Morgana.

Shiho: When will we meet her?

Yu: I have to work tomorrow, so on Sunday.

Akechi: We can do it on our lunch break.

Hifumi: Very well. Yu, where exactly do you work?

Yu: At a cafe called Leblanc, in Yongen. Why?

Hifumi: We should meet there to discuss what exactly our plan is.

Akechi: Very well. It's been awhile since I had some of Sakura-san's coffee.

Shiho: Alright, but let's keep Ryuji in the back of our minds. Goodnight everyone.

And with that, the chat closed, and Hifumi's mind wandered back to Ryuji. He was shutting out virtually everyone close to him, and if what he asked her was any indication, he felt like he was cornered. But despite that, he came to her for help. Not Akechi, not Shiho, _her_. Between that, and the fact he asked her out, it was clear he had a soft spot for her, even after Mitsuyo confessed. Hifumi sent another text.

Hifumi: Hey, Ryuji, you still up?

Ryuji: You bet! What's up?

Hifumi: I wanted to play some Shogi. Think you could meet me in Kanda for a match?

Ryuji: Oh… sorry, not tonight. But tomorrow for sure tho!

Hifumi: I'll hold you to that.


	63. Family Reunion

Ryuji had to wake up early today. Last night, he had gotten a call from his least favorite person in the world; Munehisa Iwai. The yakuza leader wanted to talk to the boy first thing in the morning, so if Ryuji wanted to make it to school on time, he would have to get up bright and early. By now he'd wandered into an airsoft shop called "Untouchable", where Iwai was waiting behind the counter. The man gave a crooked grin when he saw who entered.

"Ah, there you are kid. Was wondering when you'd show."

"Why? I showed up last time we met so you could show me where to find your hideouts around Tokyo. But I got school, so let's get this over with."

"Yea yea. So here's the thing; I'm planning something… big. And in order to pull it off, I need some help."

"And that involves me how?" Ryuji asked.

"Let me give you a piece of advice kid. You're up shit's creek without a paddle. You'd be smart to change that lousy attitude of yours."

"Well I've always been told that I'm an idiot, so…"

Iwai shook his head, but the smile remained.

"Well anyway, here's the thing I need you to do."

Iwai reached into his pocket and pulled out a flash drive.

"If my plan's gonna work, I'm gonna need the cops in chaos. On this flash drive is a virus. One that will completely wreck their systems. I need you to plug it into the systems of the SIU."

"The hell?! How the eff am I supposed to do that on my own?!" Ryuji yelled.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe you could use that Narukami kid you went on a run with. Or maybe you could beg Akechi to show you around. Since you know, you go to school with him. I don't care, just get it done."

"Dude, you're bein' way too unreasonable! There's no way I can do that shit!"

"Oh you can. And you will, or your pretty little girlfriend won't stay pretty for long."

Ryuji's face went white as Iwai reached into his pocket, pulling out a phone with a picture of Hifumi on it.

"You try to run, or go to the cops, well… let's just say Tokyo ain't a very safe place. Accidents tend to happen all the ti-"

Iwai didn't finish his sentence on account of Ryuji's fist getting introduced to his jaw. The yakuza member slammed into a display case, and Ryuji quickly closed the distance, and grabbed a fistful of Iwai's shirt, his spare hand already another fist.

"You stay the hell away from her, you son of a bitch!" He yelled.

Iwai's smile vanished completely, and his glare was cold enough to freeze lava.

"Go ahead and hit me again punk. See what happens." Iwai dared. Ryuji was about to do just that until he felt something poke his gut. Looking down, he saw that Iwai had managed to get a gun out, and pointed it squarely at Ryuji's stomach. The blonde delinquent reluctantly backed off, and Iwai's smile returned, this time full of gleeful malice.

"You're more like your old man than I thought."

"Screw you! That's what this is about?! That's why you came after me?! Because you're too salty about the fact my old man chose a girl over you?!"

"I'm doing you a favor, kid. I know about your record, and I know how you fight. My clan could use a powerhouse, and if Hirohito doesn't want in, well, then I'm gonna have to settle for his son. You got your dad's talent, and I sure as shit ain't gonna let it go to waste."

"Oh yea? And the hell makes you think I wanna join your stupid clan."

"Oh please. You really think you'll have a place to belong? Think you're gonna find a group of people that'll accept a loud, stupid, and reckless delinquent? Face it kid, before you know it, you'll have nowhere to go. Except my clan. My family. Might as well get a head start."

Ryuji did nothing but grit his teeth. He knew Iwai was wrong, but before he could bring up the friends he did make at school, the criminal spoke.

"Now go on, get. Don't want to be late to school, now do ya?"

Iwai tossed the flash drive to Ryuji, who caught it. The highschooler didn't reply, instead flipping off the criminal with a middle finger before marching towards school. Iwai shook his head, still smiling.

"Give it time Ryuji. You'll come to enjoy what I have planned for you yet."

* * *

Yu Narukami was back working at Leblanc. Throughout the school day, Yu and the others didn't try to confront Ryuji, as Hifumi informed the group that she planned to talk to him later that day. But that didn't stop Ann, who tried again and again to try and get Ryuji to talk. But the delinquent wouldn't budge, and each attempt only seemed to make him clam up more. But Yu could worry about that later. Right now, they needed to finalize the details of their meeting with Sae Niijima. He received a text that they were on their way, and Yu thanked his lucky stars that today didn't see many customers. The bell chimed, and Yu heard Sojiro give his greeting, followed by familiar voices.

"Ah, welcome, may I take your orders?"

"Of course. Mocha Matari, if it's not too much trouble."

Akechi.

"Um, I haven't had coffee before. What would you recommend?"

Shiho.

"Father once treated me to something called a Hawiian… Koma, I think it was."

Hifumi.

"I'll have what the other ladies are having."

Morgana.

"One Mocha Matari and three Hawaiin Koma coming right up. Hey kid, check the fridge and write down any curry supplies we might need."

Yu gave a nod as the others took their seat and he opened the refrigerator, hoping no one else would come in. Unfortunately, someone did, and Yu had to stop himself from groaning. Of course, he and the others could just wait until he was on his break, but it would simply be more efficient to get it over and done with as soon as possible. But when he heard Akechi gasp, and Sojiro let out a frightened squeak, Yu was worried that trouble was brewing. But he got a far more pleasant surprise instead.

Standing in the doorway was a very familiar man. He was a man with short, greyish black hair and a three day stubble. He wore a dark grey button up shirt, with a loose red tie and dark black dress pants, and a silver watch on his left wrist. Oh yes, Yu knew this person all too well.

"DAD?!"

Standing in the doorway was the man, the myth, the legend himself, Dojima Narukami. When his eyes settled on his child, the detective gave one of the biggest smiles Yu had seen him put on. But that smile vanished as joy was replaced with confusion.

"Yu? What are you doing here? And why do you have that apron on?" Dojima asked.

"Oh, he works here. Figured it was the least we could do after your help with the insurance fraud business with my brother." Wakaba explained, ditching her laptop to address the new arrival. Sojiro let out a cough.

"Uhhh, I need to go… to um, pick up supplies, yea."

"Hey, hold on! You won't let my son stay with you, but you're perfectly ok with him having a job in your cafe?" Dojima questioned.

"What are you talking about? You never asked us to be the guardians for Yu." Wakaba explained.

"Yes I did. I asked Sojiro-san, and he told me it wouldn't happen even if I offered every yen in my account."

Wakaba turned to her husband, who had been slowly making his way towards the exit. He turned around with fear in his eyes.

"RUN DAD! RUUUUUUUN!" Futaba yelled.

And run Sojiro did, only to be pursued by his missus at speeds Yu didn't even know a woman in a wheelchair could reach.

"GET BACK HERE SOJI! YOU'RE SLEEPING ON THE COUCH TONIGHT, I SWEAR TO GOD!" Wakaba promised as she chased her now terrified husband through the streets.

"That's domestic abuse Wakaba-san!" Dojima yelled after her, though how likely it was she heard it was anyone's guess. Free of the watch of his boss, Yu almost ran to hug his dad, a hug Dojima returned with a gentle smile.

"Gotta say, I expected you to either be at Sae's or studying at school. This place was the only thing that kept me going back in the day. Being here again… brings back memories."

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here Dojima-san?" Akechi asked.

"Ah. Well Akechi, believe it or not, the new commissioner of my department received orders to send me here. From what I gathered, I'm here to actually help both you and Sae in catching the Phantom Team."

Yu felt his blood turn cold at his father's sentence, and judging by the looks of everyone else present, he could tell that they were internally panicking. The silver-haired teen turned to his father to see if he noticed. He most certainly did, and he tried his best to pretend he didn't.

"So why don't you fix me a cup of joe? Colombian Bucaramanga Supremo please." Dojima asked, taking a seat.

"Coming right up." Yu replied.

"Hey come on, why did everyone get so tense all of a sudden?" Dojima asked as his son went to work.

"Oh sorry. It's just… we don't know who or what the Phantom Team is made of. If you go after them, you and your son could be targets. And we don't want either of you to get hurt." Shiho explained.

"Oh really?"

"Yea. He's done a lot for us, and me personally. I owe him a lot." Shiho answered, smiling at him with doe eyes.

"Well, you guys have helped me plenty of times too." Yu replied, giving Shiho a similar look.

"Just out of curiosity, what are your… assumptions… on the Phantom Team?" Hifumi asked.

Dojima took a deep breath, placing his hand under his chin.

"Well, given that they issue calling cards, they believe in their own justice, and are willing to let themselves be judged by the masses. I also suspect that they've been wronged by society, and feel the need to fight back and let people know that such corruption exists. After all, if they just wanted to cause a ruckus, they'd go after authority figures with actual power to try and create anarchy. There's also a similarity between them and the mental shutdowns; both can't be explained by normal methods and happen without warning. But due to the fact that these 'changes of heart' don't kill people, and how much longer the shutdowns have been happening, the Phantom Team can't be what's causing them. They would have to have gained the ability to change hearts recently, and are likely not related to the shutdowns. Yet."

The detective leaned back in the chair.

"Finally, the fact that they had two targets so closely together suggests that they have a bounty of free time on their hands, but at the same time, the fact that they have _only_ struck twice suggests that they have other commitments, a lack of resources to pull from, or both. Similar to the life of an average highschooler. And on top of that, this whole thing started shortly after my son transferred here, and in this cafe are also the daughter of Mitsuyo, and the Detective Prince. Two people who are heavily connected to the first targets."

Yu managed to keep a perfect poker face as Dojima made his deductions. But everyone else's faces lost more and more color as he continued. By the time the detective was done, the Phantoms were as pale as what they were named after. Dojima gave out a hearty laugh at the sight.

"Oh come on kids! That's all pure speculation. I'm sure I'm probably wrong on some counts."

Yu Narukami had known his father for a solid chunk of his life, and as such, he knew certain signals that gave away what the detective was really thinking. In this case, a small, almost impossible to see twitch under his right eye was the signal that he was lying. And Yu saw that twitch when Dojima said he was probably wrong. Morgana spoke with awe in her voice.

"That's amazing Dojima! How'd you draw those conclusions so quickly?"

"There's a reason they call me the 'Detective Prince' rather than the 'Detective King' Morgana." Akechi added, also with a hint of impressiveness in his tone.

"Yea, they do say I'm the best. But enough about the Phantom Team. Why don't you tell me who you are, and how you all met my boy?" Dojima asked, Yu serving him the drink he ordered.

"Well, you already know my name Dojima-san. I met him because I work for Sae-san." Akechi replied, smiling at the memories of the dramatic poses he did when the two of them first met at the Niijima apartment.

"My name is Morgana Velvet. I met him when Akechi introduced the two of us. I'm not from around here, so I camp out in Akechi's home." Morgana answered.

"I'm Shiho Suzui. We actually met during a volleyball rally. Though, our bond didn't really solidify until… he helped me out during a troublesome time." Shiho told Dojima, giving a sad smile at Yu.

"You already know my name, but for formality's sake, I'm Hifumi Togo. I actually met him by pure coincidence. He and another boy by the name of Ryuji actually came across me while I was playing some Shogi. Though, it wasn't until he and Akechi here began to investigate my mother that we became better acquainted."

"I see." Dojima replied, sipping away the last of his drink. Letting out a sigh of satisfaction, he turned to the group one last time.

"Hey, you all don't mind if I take him outside and talk to him in private, do you?"

"Not at all Dojima-san!" Akechi hastily answered.

With no more words, father and son made it to the backstreets of Yongen, safe and secluded from listening ears and prying eyes. It was the Narukami patriarch that spoke first.

"That's a good team you got there. Can't say I'm really all that surprised; you've always had a knack for attracting extraordinary people."

"Yea. Though loyal people are a bit out of my league."

"Hey, don't be like that. The fact that they haven't abandoned you shows that they have faith you'll see them through whatever trails await. I don't know what it is exactly you guys have to do to steal a heart, but I imagine it isn't easy." Dojima speculated, confirming Yu's suspicions.

Rather than insult his dad by playing dumb, Yu just replied with the honest truth.

"It isn't easy at all. Nothing worth doing ever is."

"Hehe. Exactly. But just be careful, alright? I'm not gonna try to tell you to stop this Phantom Team business, since telling you to not get involved utterly failed, but just come back to us in one piece. Nanako misses her big bro big time, and I miss my son."

"I miss both of you too dad."

"I can't wait until you come home and tell Nanako all about your adventures. Oh, also, have you asked that Shiho girl out on a date? She'd say yes if you did you know."

"I have, and she did. How'd you figure it out?"

"It was the way you two looked at each other. Your mother and I used to look at each other that way too."

Yu looked at the ground at the mention of his deceased family member, but there was also a spark of hope. If dad and mom looked at each other that way once, would he and Shiho be just as happy? And then he remembered something else Dojima told him.

"I miss Nanako too. How's living with the new guy, Minato, I think his name was?"

"Oh. Him."

Dojima took in a very deep, very long, very loud breath.

"I'm not going to lie, he was an emo asshole when he first arrived."

That sentence caused Yu to barrel over laughing, almost as hard as Izanagi did before his first romantic lessons with Sae. Dojima just looked at his son with a confused, but then amused, expression. Before long he was laughing along, and it took a good while before they both calmed down. Yu looked at his father, still gasping for air.

"E-emo… asshole?" He questioned.

"Well, he's certainly gotten better. It's helped that other people and I have made good progress training him."

"Training him?"

"Well, when he first got here, he said whatever he wanted to without any thought to the consequences or how people would feel about it. Made bonding with people… difficult. But now he's got a really tight knit group of friends. A real… **Investigation Squad**, if you will."

"Oh…. wow. When did he move to Inaba?"

"Actually, he's a transfer, just like you, so he'll only be staying for one year. I'm only looking after him because your aunt asked me to."

"Wait… Minato's my cousin?"

"No, he's adopted, though you do have a cousin. Her name is Himiko Arisato."

"Didn't you say Minato was adopted?"

"His original name was Minato Yuki, but they changed it to Arisato."

_Wow. Guess you really do learn something every day._

"Frankly, I'm amazed he and Nanako got along at all."

"Nanako could get along with anyone." Yu pointed out.

"Heh. Fair enough."

There were a precious few seconds of silence before Dojima tried to change the subject.

"Hey, when it comes to stealing hearts, you wouldn't happen to-"

Before the conversation could continue, Dojima's phone rang. The detective let out a groan as he picked it up.

"Dojima here. Huh? Yes, I'm in the city. Right now? But I thought I'd have at least a day. Ugh, fine. If he's there and ready, I'll go see him."

Dojima turned to his son, a disappointed scowl plastered on his face.

"I have to go meet the SIU Director now, and then I'll have to stay at a hotel or something."

"If you want, you can stay with me at the Niijima apartment." Yu suggested, hoping to spend more time with his father.

"I wish I could, but no. Sae-san might grill me for turning down her boss, or try to pry my insights out of me. And I've never had a real talent for lying. You stay as safe as you can be. And good luck on whoever you target next."

"You sure you have to go now? There's so much I want to talk to you about."

"I'm afraid so. The director of Japan's greatest crime-fighting unit isn't someone you can keep waiting, unfortunately. You're welcome to call. Whenever you have the time."

Father and son embraced each other.

"I love you dad."

"Love you too."

The pair was slow to let go, but eventually, they were forced to part ways. But before he left completely, Dojima tossed a wad of bills to his son, mouthing 'thanks for the coffee!' as he left. Yu allowed the corners of his mouth to form into a small smile. Izanagi stirred, and Yu didn't hesitate to release him.

**Don't be sad Yu. We'll see him again once all this is over.**

_Yea. Wonder if he's proud of what we're doing._

**He is. If he wasn't, he would've let us know in some way.**

_How can you be so sure?_

**Because I'm you. And no one alive knows Dojima Narukami better than his own son. Now come on, let's get back to the others. We have a meeting to plan, and Sojiro won't be hunted by Wakaba forever.**

Yu gave a solemn nod in response, and entered the cafe. The others almost stood at attention as their leader arrived.

"Alright, let's get down to business. Time to discuss how we're going to meet the woman tasked with hunting us down." Yu ordered.

"Wait, before we do that…" Shiho spoke up.

"What is it Shiho? We have until Sojiro comes back." Akechi reminded.

"I know. But… I want to know if you're doing alright." Shiho said, looking at Yu.

"Me?"

"Yes. Ever since the Reaper… well…" Shiho trailed off. Yu took his girlfriends hands with his own and began to gently message them.

"I'm alright Shiho. I mean, you died at Mitsuyo's Palace, and you turned out fine."

"Well yea, but you underwent a mental shutdown! That's completely different!" Shiho countered.

"You don't need to worry about side effects Shiho. The revival beads make sure to repair the body to its original state before death."

"O-oh. Sorry for worrying over nothing."

"Never be sorry for caring Shiho. If the Reaper killed you, I'd panic too." Yu reassured, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. The volleyball player smiled at his words.

"I hate to interrupt, but we still need to talk about Sae-san." Akechi reminded.

"Right. So, here's my plan…"

* * *

Sae Niijima let out a yawn as she made her way over towards the Director's office. Apparently, he had called in a few favors, and managed to get someone from somewhere to help her with her case. Sae could already see the events playing out. This new arrival would take over; ordering her what to do, taking the credit for her victories, placing the blame on her whenever he failed, all while mentally undressing her and trying to get in her pants. It was going to be a nightmare, and she had no idea why Azuma-san was doing this to her. Did he seriously expect results in less than a week, or did he have no faith in her abilities? She gently knocked on his door.

"Ah, that must be her now. Come in." Her commander ordered.

Sae opened the door, and braced herself for the lecherous stare and arrogant grin of whoever was waiting for her. But much to her surprise, she saw a man she hadn't seen in five whole years. The man who saved both her life, and her sister's life, and paid dearly for it. The man she was indebted to.

"D-Dojima-san?!" Sae almost squealed, her voice kept in check only by immeasurable self-discipline.

He turned around, a smile towing the line between warm and cocky gracing his features. God, he hadn't changed much, if at all, since she saw him.

"Long time no see Sae-san. My, you've grown. Last time I saw you, you barely came up to my hips." He said, now having to crane his neck upwards towards the girl who dragged herself and her sister out of the dregs of orphanhood.

"Isn't this a meeting for the history books? All we need is Akechi and we would've had the greatest crusaders of justice in one room." Azuma stated with a smile.

Sae silently cursed her director for not giving her any warning whatsoever. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that she hadn't showered in about 24 hours, gotten about three hours of sleep, wore wrinkled clothes, had unkempt hair and generally did not look presentable at all. Never before did she wish she could stop time so badly, if only just to make sure she dolled herself up for her late father's closest friend.

"Y-yes, Dojima-san. It has been a very long time. H-how long will you be staying?" Sae asked, hopeful of the possibility that she would spend more time with Dojima. True, she wanted to pick his brain on the Phantom Team case, but there were… other reasons for wanting to spend time with him.

"Well that depends on how he responds to my question." the director interrupted.

The two stood side-by-side, ready and waiting for Tatsumi Azuma to continue.

"Dojima-san, I take it you have already heard of the Phantom Team?" Azuma asked.

"Everyone's heard of them. Even in a backwater town like Yasoinaba."

"Good, then I can skip to the reason why I asked you to come all this way. Dojima-san, I would like-"

"The answer's no."

Sae's eyes turned into saucers.

"But I didn't even ask-"

"You didn't have to. You made me come all the way out here because you wanted me to help you take down the Phantom Team. The answer's no. And before you ask, here's why. First off, back in Inaba, there's been two murders, and the culprit is still on the loose. I don't want to leave my daughter alone and unprotected."

"You're more than welcome to-" Azuma began.

"No. I'm not uprooting my daughter's life by moving here. As for the second reason; you don't need me."

This time it was Sae who spoke.

"W-what?! But you're the most brilliant detective mind in Japan, perhaps the world! If there was one person we absolutely need to crack this case, it's you!" She cried, and mentally kicked herself for sounding like a child begging their parents for a piece of candy. But Dojima turned and gave her a gentle smile.

"That's not true Sae. You and Akechi have already proven that you're capable of whatever the world throws at you. You two are the future, I'm a thing of the past. I have nothing but the utmost faith in your abilities." The detective responded, placing his hand on her shoulder.

It took everything Sae had to not blush at both Dojima's touch and his words. Not only did he believe that she was smart enough to do this on her own, but he also thought she was destined to become his successor as the greatest law enforcer in Japan. Well, he also thought Akechi played a part, but he was her partner, he didn't count. Azuma spoke up.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not asking Dojima-san. You're going to be working for the SIU and helping us track down-"

"No. I'm not."

Dojima walked up to Azuma and placed both of his hands on the desk, and leaned over, staring at the SIU Director square in the face.

"I'm not a part of the SIU, I don't answer to you. And if my boss back home orders me to help you out, then the next thing you hear of me will be how I turned in my badge."

Sae's jaw dropped at the threat, swearing the room temperature plunged by at least a dozen degrees. Why was he being so adamant about not helping them track down the vigilanties? The two stared at each other for what felt like eons, and Sae found herself grateful Yu didn't inherit his father's stubbornness and brashness. Otherwise he would've disobeyed her and gotten in trouble by now. Finally, Azuma caved.

"Are you sure about this Dojima-san? There are many benefits and rewards for the ones that take them down. You sure you want to throw that away?"

"With respect sir, you already have all you need. And my family will always be more important to me than my personal gain."

"Very well. In that case, we have nothing more to discuss." Azuma stated, his tone making it clear that he was very upset with Dojima's response.

"It would appear so." Dojima replied, turning and calmly walking out of the office. Once the door was closed, the director spoke to Sae.

"He could've had my seat if he only had half a mind to take opportunities when they came. No matter, we'll make due."

"Sir, permission to go after him? There's some things I'd like to talk to him about."

"Very well. Do what you will Niijima." He answered with a curt nod.

Sae tried her best not to run out of the room. Dojima was just approaching the elevator, everyone else clearing out of the way of the famous detective. Sae only barely managed to make it in with him in time. He looked at her with both surprise and suspicion. Sae took deep, but steady breaths.

"Dojima-san, I must ask you to reconsider. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, one that will greatly benefit both of your children later down the line. The money alone could-"

Dojima stared blankly at her. Then he gave a chuckle. It wasn't mocking or confident, but genuine mirth, like if a parent walking in on their child being adorably innocent.

"Like I said, I turned it down because of family."

"I… I understand that. Believe me, I understand wanting to protect family, but… it's just…"

For once, Sae was at a complete loss for words. Dojima was helpful enough to fill in the blanks.

"You want to work with me, right?"

Sae's eyes lit up like a christmas tree.

"Yes! And, it's not just me, but Akechi would too! You're the greatest detective alive, and working with you, learning from you… it's not something I want to miss."

Dojima looked sullen for a few minutes, turning to look at the floor. But then, he smiled, and ruffled Sae's hair of all things. Were it anyone else, the prosecutor would have swatted the person's hand away and slapped them if they were a civilian, or immediately dragged them to the gym for 'CQC training' if it was an officer of the law. She wasn't a child that needed to be coddled, only a driven woman who needed to win. Dojima must have noticed the discomfort, because he stopped almost as soon as he started, and his smile vanished.

"I forgot you're not a little girl anymore. Forgive me."

Sae immediately forgave him.

"But like I said, you and Akechi don't need me. You've already proven your smart enough to handle this Phantom Team."

Sae looked away this time, unsure. Dojima placed his hand on her shoulder. Again, she fought the urge to blush.

"Sae, you and that boy have taken down so many high-profile targets and uprooted so much corruption. Your father would be proud of the woman you grew to be, and the woman your sister is now."

Sae gave a real, genuine smile at the detective's words.

"You really think so?"

"I **know** so."

The elevator _DING_ed as it reached its destination. But before Dojima exited, he spoke yet again.

"But a bit of advice; don't enter a case with a conclusion already made up in your mind. You do that, and you'll just search for evidence that supports it, and ignore any that goes against it. If that happens, you'll make mistakes and put away the wrong person. If you ever meet the Phantom Team, do it with an open mind. You could be pleasantly surprised."

And with that, Dojima left. Sae called out to him.

"At least come back to the apartment! Makoto would love to see you!"

"Maybe next time! Tell her I say hello!"

* * *

There was a _CLACK_ in the air as Hifumi waited in the church for Ryuji. With her now permanently a member of the Phantom Team, she would have to concoct new strategies to help them in the Metaverse. As she was analyzing the board, she heard the doors open, and just like she hoped, there Ryuji was. He was starting to develop bags under his eyes, and he was certainly trying to move more slowly. He plopped himself down in front of her as she began to clear the board.

"Sup?" He offered weakly.

"Hello Ryuji. Are you doing ok? You don't look well." Hifumi observed.

"Yea…"

"That wasn't very convincing."

Ryuji groaned.

"Not you too. Why don't any of you guys give it a rest?" He asked, unable to gather the energy for anger.

"Would you if the situation was reversed?"

Ryuji looked away, unable to answer, because they both knew what that answer was.

"Now, let's play a match of Shogi." Hifumi suggested, setting the pieces up.

"Sure, whatever. Suppose it's the least I could do, even if I ain't gonna beat ya."

"Actually, I want this to be different. I would like you to do what I tell you to do."

"Uhhhh, ok?" Ryuji replied, confusion evident on his face.

And so the game commenced. At first, they were pretty even, but as it went on, Ryuji began to lose more and more pieces as he followed Hifumi's instructions, only moving his bishops and rooks further in. Finally, they became promoted, and Ryuji was just holding on by a thread. But then the game began to change. Thanks to the promotions, the rooks and bishops, now known as dragon kings and dragon horses respectively, began a comeback. Still following Hifumi's instructions, Ryuji was able to not only save his king, but he was also able to eventually checkmate Hifumi's. He won. Of course, he had done it by following Hifumi's instructions, but he had still won regardless.

"Well done Ryuji." Hifumi congratulated.

"Ah, it ain't all that impressive. I just did what you told me to do."

"Yes, you did. And what did you learn?"

"… huh?"

"There was a reason I asked you to do all those things; I am trying to teach you something. Can you guess what it is?"

"That if I listen to you, things'll be alright?"

"No Ryuji. You won because you had reinforcements, backup… your forces won because they had help."

"I think I know where you're goin' with this. You're tryin' to say I should let other people help me?"

"That's exactly it. Mother, as cruel as she was, did occasionally give me helpful advice. Once such a piece was a saying she had; 'a man with no friends is a man with no power.' There's strength in numbers Ryuji, and I'm only free now because you didn't give up on me. Because you helped me. I want to return the favor, but I can't if you don't let me."

Hifumi gingerly placed her hand on top of Ryuji's. The former track runner's eyes slowly closed as he unleashed a deep breath.

"Alright fine. But you gotta promise you can't tell anyone else. Not your pal, not the cops, no one."

Hifumi paused, before nodding her head, worried that if she spoke, it would reveal her lie.

"So… you remember Iwai? That Yakuza guy who was once my pa's sworn brother?"

"I do. He was left behind while your father pursued your mother. Has he come back?"

"Yea. But first, I think I should tell ya the whole story. See, back when your old lady was still, ya know, controlling your whole life, Akechi and Yu were investigatin' her."

"I know."

"Yea, but I didn't. I saw both you and my buddy Yu all alone a few times. Now, Yu's already datin' another girl named Shiho. She's a friend of mine, and lately she went through… some rough shit. So when I saw him and you together, I thought he was cheatin' on ya, and on Shiho."

"I see. So I'm assuming you attacked him in a fit of jealousy?"

Ryuji's eyes widened and he pulled his head back as if dodging an attack. But the look of surprise quickly transformed into a scowl, and his next words were spoken with an offended tone.

"What?! Hell no! You're allowed to date whoever the hell you want lady! The problem wasn't that! The problem was that he was cheatin' on both you and my friend! Pa always said that guys who did that only saw chicks as toys to play with and throw away when they're done, and neither you nor Shiho deserved that!"

Now it was Hifumi's turn to be surprised, but smiled shortly after. Even though she'd rejected him, he still looked out for her, like a knight defending what he thought was a maiden's besmirched honor. Granted, his other lady friend played a role in that, but still. Ryuji Sakamoto could be called a lot of unflattering things, but one couldn't deny that he had a heart of gold, and wore that heart on his sleeve.

"But… I was wrong. Turns out he only met with ya to talk about your ma. I cornered him and tried to talk to him about it, but he lied to me. Of course now I know that's because he didn't want to tip off your old lady. So, we fought."

"How does this lead to Iwai?"

"I'm gettin' there. After we fought, I asked what I could do to make it up to him, and he told me to ask Makoto-senpai. She sent me to get a Buchimaru thing. Problem was, it was expensive as hell. So, this guy showed up and offered me a shit-ton of cash, and all I had to do was deliver this letter."

Hifumi pinched the bridge of her nose. It would appear that his heart made up for his brain. She gestured for him to continue.

"So I did, but it turned out that the letter carried drugs, and they got pics of me deliverin' them. That was when Iwai himself confronted me. Told me that if I didn't do what he wanted, or tried to go to the cops he'd show those pics to them. He also threatened you."

"Me?"

"Yea. He thinks that we're datin' or something."

"I see…" Hifumi trailed off, looking at the shogi board in contemplation. Perhaps she should've said yes. If she had, perhaps she could've prevented this whole debacle to begin with. But Ryuji's voice brought her out of her contemplation.

"So yea. That's why I went to ya for help. I feel trapped, and there ain't a damned thing anyone can do about it. I plan on runnin' away soon, just so I don't have to do jack shit for that asshole."

"Wait. There is someone out there who can help." Hifumi replied, pulling out her phone.

"Huh? Who?"

Hifumi showed him what she pulled up. He let out a gasp, and a cheeky grin showed up on his face.

"Of course! The Phantom Team! They can take that rotten bastard's heart!" Ryuji replied, pulling out his own phone and writing his request on it. Hifumi gave him a warm smile.

"Alright, now all we gotta do is wait. I just hope they get to him before he makes me do somethin' really bad."

Ryuji then noticed the time.

"Crap! It's really late! I gotta get goin'! Thanks for this Hifumi, it really helped!" Ryuji declared, getting up and leaving as some of his energy seemed to be restored. Hifumi waved goodbye as he left before packing up herself. He was right; it was late and she too would have to return home. But first, she would have to break her promise.

Hifumi: Guys, I think I've found our next target.


	64. Setting up the Meeting

Yu Narukami sat with his partner and friend in the SIU headquarters, waiting. The plan to meet with Sae Niijima, his guardian, his confidant, and his potential foe, was underway. They had reviewed it dozens of times in Leblanc, but even so, executing it was nerve-wrecking. It didn't help that late last night, they received a message from Hifumi.

_Earlier… _

Hifumi: Guys, I think I've found our next target.

Shiho: Does that mean you managed to get Ryuji to open up?

Hifumi: Yes. And it's bad.

Akechi: How bad?

Hifumi: He's being blackmailed by the yakuza. A man named Munehisa Iwai to be specific.

Yu: Oh shit.

Akechi: That's the understatement of the year my friend.

Morgana: How so?

Akechi: Iwai was once the Japanese version of Al Capone; he committed virtually every crime in the book, from illegal gambling, extortion, racketeering, booze, human trafficking, murder, the whole nine yards. For years, the department, and even the SIU struggled with putting him down, until Dojima Narukami transferred to the Tokyo PD and was partnered with a man named Saito Niijima.

Morgana: Hold on, Yu's dad and Sae's dad knew each other?!

Yu: Yup. It's why I'm staying with her.

Morgana: WHAT?!

Shiho: How did you not know that?

Morgana: No one tells me these things!

Akechi: Back on track, this whole thing happened about five years ago, when Iwai was still the master of Japan's underworld.

Shiho: Was?

Akechi: Well, Dojima-san and Saito-san were the best of the best that the law could offer, but even they couldn't track down Iwai himself. The two of them decided that if they couldn't take down Iwai, they'd take down his operations. And so, the two of them led a war against the criminals of Tokyo. Between Dojima-san's intellect and Saito-san's martial skills, the criminal underworld began to crumble, and some in the clan began to prepare for open rebellion against what they saw as ineffective leadership.

Morgana: What happened after that?

Yu: Everything went wrong after that. Dad and Saito-san went to the Niijima home, thinking it was safe there. About five yakuza henchmen showed up, and there was a firefight. Saito-san was killed, and dad was put into a coma for three years.

Shiho: Are you going to be alright?

Yu: I'm fine. I dealt with it long ago.

Akechi: Fortunately for us, the damage had already been done to the yakuza. Iwai's clan faced a civil war, and a great many broke off to form their own factions.

Hifumi: But now it looks like he's returning to the field.

Yu: Yea. And if that's true, then we have to finish what dad and Saito-san started.

Hifumi: Did Iwai have any partners? Sworn brothers?

Akechi: Well, he had one. His name was Hirohito Anzai, but he vanished roughly 15 years ago, long before Dojima-san was transferred to Tokyo. Good thing too, because by all accounts, Anzai was an unstoppable force of nature, and the sole reason Iwai managed to amass as much power to begin with.

Shiho: If he left, then all we have to worry about is Iwai. All in favor of targeting him?

Hifumi: Aye.

Akechi: Aye.

Yu: Aye.

Morgana: Aye.

Shiho: Then it's unanimous. Let's take this guy down. For Sae-san, Makoto-senpai, Yu, and for Ryuji.

"Munehisa Iwai."

"Candidate found."

Yu: Looks like we're in business guys. He has a Palace.

_Present… _

Yu forced himself back to the here and now. The next part of their plan could happen at any moment, and the teenager mentally played the steps in his head.

_Step one: Deliver the spare phone onto the roof._

This step was actually completed yesterday. After Akechi left Leblanc, he took the spare phone Yu had and taped it underneath a chair, and then delivered said chair to the roof. He also made sure to have several other empty boxes so that Sae wouldn't get suspicious, and even put some pornographic material inside them.

_Step two: Have Futaba send Sae the message_

This was the current step they were on. The girls wanted something to do during the whole operation, but they couldn't be in the building without raising suspicions. Morgana suggested that they could watch from another building, letting Futaba know when Sae got in range so she could activate the app at the right time. Yu shot that down with the fact that Izanagi could just as easily watch for Sae's arrival. So the girls sat at their homes, and hoped for the best. His train of thought was interrupted by Sae letting out a gasp of shock. He and Akechi looked over to their boss and quickly walked to her desk.

"Sae-san? Is something wrong?" Akechi asked.

"I don't know. Look at this." Sae ordered.

There, taking up all of the space on her computer screen was a message

_**Greetings Sae Niijima, the Incorruptible Justicar.**_

_**We have heard your message. We know you do not believe us to be champions of justice, that our powers will inevitably corrupt us, but we are ready and eager to prove you wrong. We heard of your offer for an alliance, and after some debate, we have decided to accept. Our leader awaits on the rooftop. Come alone. If you bring anyone, be they a squad, an intern or even your partner, the deal is off. You have 15 minutes until he leaves.**_

_**Kindest regards, the Phantom Team.**_

Yu and Akechi looked at each other first, then toward Sae, gauging her response. They decided in Leblanc that if this meeting went sour, they should at least maintain the advantage of keeping their numbers a secret. Sae immediately stood up and turned to her subordinates.

"Stay here, both of you. I'm heading to the roof."

"Be careful Sae-san." Yu cautioned.

"Don't worry. Whoever their leader is, I can handle him." Sae replied with confidence, turning to head up the stairs that led to the rooftop. Once she was out of sight, Akechi and Yu made their way to the bathroom as quickly as possible. Akechi began to type to Futaba, while Yu sent Izanagi out to wait for Sae to get to the rooftop. Next step.

_Step three: Wait until Sae reaches the roof, then pull her into the Metaverse._

They had already determined that when Yu went into the Metaverse, Izanagi would materialize instantly wherever the Persona was, regardless of how far he was from his master. But, as they discussed their plan, they realized another problem; how would they get Sae back into the real world? They couldn't afford to have her discover the Meta-Nav. That would open a can of worms of problems. Akechi proposed a solution; he would enter the Metaverse with Yu. After the introductions with Sae and Izanagi were done, Robin Hood would sneak up to the roof, and once it was done, he would activate the Nav. This was without a doubt the most risky part of the plan; it could take only the smallest of mistakes to cause everything to go up in smoke. But Akechi assured them that he wouldn't let that happen.

**She's here Narukami**.

Yu told Futaba to activate the Nav. Closing his eyes to look through Izanagi's, he saw Sae open the door, and step right next to the chair with the phone taped underneath. Suddenly, she let out a hiss of pain and gripped her temples with her fingers, struggling to keep them open. But then, she finally closed her eyes, and her body vanished. Now, Izanagi hovered to the staircase, just behind the door to the roof. Now, it was time for the final step.

_Step four: Enter the Metaverse and make an alliance with Sae Niijima._

This was a part where Yu and Izanagi had a great internal debate over who would be in charge. At first, Yu thought he'd have to direct his Persona like a puppet, but Izanagi assured him that not only was he capable of operating on his own, but also if he spoke with Yu's mannerisms and speech patterns in a voice similar to Yu's, there would be a chance Sae would put two and two together. The Wild Card relented only when Izanagi promised he would take the situation seriously, though he was greatly offended Yu thought otherwise.

Yu made sure he and Akechi were alone, and activated the Nav.

* * *

Sae Niijima had to suppress her smile as she climbed the staircase to the rooftop. This was almost too easy. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't really expect the Team to accept her invitation. In truth, the only reason she even made that offer was to minimize support for the Team. If they turned her down, she could tell the public that they had a chance to be real heroes and they missed it. But, since they actually took her up on her offer, she could cut this investigation short. Their leader was expecting a talk, perhaps a deal, an alliance in the name of justice.

What a fool he would be.

Once she got up there and met him, the first thing she'd do is cuff him and interrogate him. She'd do whatever it took to get the names of his accomplices, and if he tried to resist, she had a taser and her training. But she hoped he'd come quietly. She didn't want to hurt him any more than she needed to. After the rest of the Team was arrested, she'd get her just reward, and celebrate with Makoto, Akechi, and Yu. She smiled at the thought of spending more time with those three.

Of course, there was a chance that the leader anticipated a trap, and brought along some tricks of his own. Maybe he had already appointed another to lead in case he got captured. It could be best to pretend to accept their deal, get close to their leader, and destroy them. She had more than enough experience entrapping men and women with her wiles, and their leader would be no different.

By now, she had arrived at the door that led to the roof, and her smile vanished. For some reason, she felt a pang of guilt in her heart. Shortly after, she heard Dojima's voice.

'_Don't enter a case with a conclusion already made up. You do that, and you'll just search for evidence that supports it, and ignore any that goes against it. If that happens, you'll make mistakes and put away the wrong person. If you ever meet the Phantom Team, do it with an open mind. You could be pleasantly surprised.'_

Or maybe… maybe they were the real deal. Maybe they were genuine about wanting to help. Maybe they were just over their heads, and trying to deliver justice their own way. Sae knew all too well how often that didn't happen in the real world.

Fine, she decided. She would give them a chance. Fair and square.

She opened the door, and braced herself for whoever awaited her. Except it wasn't a _who_, but a _what_ that was lying in wait. Almost as soon as she closed the door behind her, her skull pounded with an intense headache. The world around her seemed to swirl, colors bled together, and her skull felt like it was about to explode. She closed her eyes, and suddenly, the pain was gone. She opened her eyes and saw that she was still standing on the roof, but the world was different. Everything else was almost the exact same as before, except for certain details; the sky was as red as blood, and the clouds swirled like vultures looking to claim their next meal, while the city was as silent as the grave. Before Sae could try and make sense of what happened, or where she was, she heard something behind her, and she turned around, seeing the doorknob begin to turn.

The doorknob creaked as it twisted, and the door hinges moaned as the slab of metal slid wide open, revealing what opened it. Standing in the doorway was a being the likes of which Sae had never seen before. Its presence felt otherworldly, its eyes felt like they belonged to something supernatural. But above all else, it radiated power, power that could change the world. This being stepped out and began to hover as it approached the prosecutor. When it spoke, the words boomed like thunder.

"**Greetings Sae Niijima, and welcome to my domain. I am Izanagi, the leader of the Phantom Team."**


End file.
